Playing with Fire
by catfic
Summary: Gi, Wheeler and Linka are having what they think will be a quiet evening on Hope Island, when Gaia sends them on a mission to Zimbabwe ... a country with a highly volatile political situation and a huge poaching problem.
1. Chapter 1

Playing with Fire

"I don't know how you got so good at this game!"

Wheeler ran a hand through his dark red hair in exasperation. He was kneeling on the rug in the Planeteers' common room. On the coffee table was a wooden chessboard littered with black and white pieces. Gi sat opposite, grinning at his frustration. The pile of captured pieces on her side was noticeably bigger.

"Years of practice, my friend. Don't be too hard on yourself – you've only just learned it."

"Yeah, well." Wheeler sipped his coffee and smiled. "You know how good I am at losing."

"Uh-huh." Gi moved a knight. "Checkmate."

"What?" Wheeler spilled his coffee. "Damn. What? It can't be!"

"I beg to differ, my fiery friend."

'But … oh, man." Wheeler leaned back. "That's so embarrassing. We've been playing for what … fifteen minutes?"

"You'll get better," Gi laughed.

"Yeah, watch out next time, little mermaid." Wheeler glanced at Linka, who was reading on the other side of the room. She looked at him with a flicker of a smile before turning back to her book. Wheeler sighed loudly.

"It's been a pretty quiet evening." He flung himself onto the nearest couch. "A pretty quiet week, in fact."

"Well, we did help clean up after that tornado on Wednesday," said Gi.

"Yeah, I know, but that wasn't too bad. Hardly made a dent in the landscape. What I mean is, the eco-villains haven't been all that active lately."

"I am not complaining," said Linka, looking up from her book. "It's good to have a break. I've been able to catch up on my studies. As you should be doing, too, Yankee."  
Wheeler looked hurt. "I've been studying. I've finished _Myst 3_."

Linka raised an eyebrow. She knew the young American was more intelligent than he liked to admit, but his couldn't-care-less attitude exasperated her. It was so far removed from her own conscientiousness and (if she let herself think it), she badly wanted him to do well. She put down her book and frowned half-jokingly.

"And what was that book I saw you reading the other day?"

Wheeler fought a smile, his blue eyes dancing. "Probably a comic."

"_The Great War for Civilisation_, wasn't it? Hardly light reading."

"Fine, you got me." He yawned, showing perfect white teeth. What was it with Americans and those teeth, Linka wondered?

"So, gang, what are we going to do to amuse ourselves this evening?" he said. "Ma-Ti's at home, Kwame's out with Mystery Date … it's just the three of us."

Gi was busy putting away the chessmen, but at that she paused and yawned dramatically. "Well, I'm exhausted … I won't be up for much longer."

"Aw, you're no fun," Wheeler smiled. "Linka?"

"I'd like to read a little longer," said the Russian. "Then I'll probably go to bed too."

She was wearing a baggy long-sleeved shirt, sweatpants and thick socks, her hair pulled back into its customary ponytail. Little wisps escaped to curl around her ears, and her eyes were vividly green in the lamplight. Wheeler felt the usual dull ache in his chest at the sight of her. Still, after six years. He swallowed, and hoped he hadn't been staring at her with naked yearning – again. He kept his voice light.

"Don't suppose anyone feels like going for a swim?" he asked hopefully. "Mermaid?"

Gi hesitated. "Well …"

"We might see some stingrays," he tempted her.

"Hmmm …"

Gi had hoped to leave the pair alone – their lack of fighting tonight had seemed a good omen – but there was nothing she liked better than swimming in the moonlight. Maybe her matchmaking could take a night off – Linka certainly looked like she had settled in for the evening.

"Okay, pyromaniac, let's go."

"Sweet, I'll help you put the rest of those little chess-dudes away." Wheeler jumped up and knocked into the coffee table, sending his half-full mug flying. Oh god … with a sense of impending doom he watched it tip up in mid-air (moving in slow-motion like something from the Matrix) and sprinkle its contents over … of course.

"Yankee!" Linka screeched. Her textbook was covered in brown splotches.

"Oh, babe, I'm so sorry," Wheeler was at her side instantly. "That thing had a mind of its own …"

Linka slammed her book shut. Her normally full lips were drawn into a tight line, and her green eyes blazed. "Sure, Yankee. Sure. Trust you to ruin a quiet evening with your clowning."

"Hey," he said, stung, "that's not fair, I …"

"Can't you sit still for five minutes?" snapped the Russian. "Grow up, Wheeler." She sprang to her feet and stormed out. A moment later they heard a door slam.

"Wow," said Gi. "That happened fast." She looked at Wheeler with a grin, hoping to make light of it, but saw that he was white-faced and grim. "You okay?"

She had to repeat herself before he heard. He smiled weakly, and gave her a quick hug. Gi loved Wheeler's spontaneity and affection – what Linka called his 'touchy-feely-ness' – and kept an arm round his shoulders as he talked.

"Oh, yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. Just … we're not kids any more, you know? I'm kind of sick of being called … I just wish she'd see that I have grown up, but it's like to her I'm always this clumsy eighteen-year-old dork."

"I can see you have grown," said Gi quietly.

"Thanks, hon. But … you know … it's been a while now. I'm just sick of the fighting. Sometimes things are …" Wheeler waved his arms, unable to describe it, "just so, so incredibly good with us. And then sometimes it's … like tonight." He was silent for a moment, his red brows drawn together in a frown. "Maybe I need to grow up enough to get over this whole Linka thing."

Gi studied him. Wheeler had always been good-looking, and his boyish charm, smiling blue eyes and open smile hadn't changed. He had, however, filled out and matured over the years to become a strong, well-built man, and she wished Linka could see it.

"Don't worry, Wheeler," she comforted. "She will see."

He opened his mouth as if so say something else, but before he could Gaia's face appeared on a wall of the hut.

"Planeteers?" she said in her rich, distinctive voice.

"Just us two, Gaia," said Wheeler cheerfully. "What can we do for you?"

"I thought Linka was with you?"

"Um … she went to bed," said Gi tactfully.

"I will need you to wake her up in a moment. I know Kwame and Ma-Ti are away, but I will call them back to help you as soon as I can. Planeteers, I need you to go to Zimbabwe."

"Zimbabwe?" said Gi. "When?"

"Tonight. Something's going on there."

"God, what isn't?" said Wheeler. "That place is a mess. Where would you even start?"

Gaia sighed. "I know. There is so much to be done – but we can't do everything. I've had a message from a game ranger in Hwange National Park. Poaching has always been a problem, but now that the legal system has broken down so dramatically, it has escalated. He has noticed all kinds of animals disappearing – elephants, rhino, giraffe – in vast numbers. And worse …" Gaia's voice trailed off. "Children."  
"Children?" said Wheeler and Gi in unison. "But … why?"

"That's what I need you to find out. In less than a week, almost half the animal population of the reserve has disappeared – and three children from the neighbouring village. Nothing has been found. This is too big for the rangers to handle on their own, especially with the political situation as it is. I need you to go there tonight."

"We're on it," said Wheeler. "I'll call Linka."

"I'll call her," said Gi, a shade too quickly.

Gaia raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. "Your contact is Tendai Mapfumo. He will meet you tomorrow morning. I'll get in touch with the others. Wheeler, I need you to take charge of this one till Kwame gets there."

"Sure, of course."

"Good luck Planeteers, and be careful. I'm sending you into a very volatile situation."

"I know, Gaia. I'll take care of the girls," said Wheeler with a grin. The holograph wavered and faded.

"So much for our midnight swim," said the American, running a hand through his hair. "I'll go get my stuff together."

"I'll tell Linka. Any messages from you?"

"No." Wheeler's mouth was set in a grim line. "Just tell her to hurry. I'll be in the Geocruiser."

Linka sat in her cabin, one leg tucked under her. Her textbook was open in front of her, but she wasn't reading. In fact, she had a ridiculous lump in her throat, and couldn't concentrate. She kept seeing Wheeler's blue eyes filled with hurt as she stormed out. Had she over-reacted? Probably. The mixture of emotions she felt around him seemed to have the same volatility as gunpowder – one false move, one word out of place and she exploded. What was it about the Yankee that brought her carefully constructed defences tumbling down? Whether he annoyed her, angered her, made her laugh of filled her with that strange, melting warmth, he demanded an emotional reaction. And got one.

Linka brushed a strand of her out of her face. A memory, unbidden, sneaked into her mind. A pair of blue eyes very close to her own, a kiss, a hand on her waist and a feeling of safety. Before she could dwell on it, however, there was a soft knock on her door. Linka looked up quickly.

"Gi," she smiled, trying to hide the disappointment in her voice.

"You okay, Linka?" Gi sounded concerned. "Did your book survive?"

"Da, it's not too bad," the Russian shrugged. "Gi, if you've come to play peacemaker …"

"No, nothing like that." The young Thai sat at the foot of Linka's bed and explained the situation. "We have to leave straightaway."

"Of course." Linka sprang up and moved over to her closet. "Is Wheeler ready?"

"Wheeler's in charge," said Gi, smiling. "Gaia specifically said so."

"Oh." Linka paused. "Till Kwame joins us?" Something irked her about the idea of Wheeler directing the mission.

"Maybe," Gi shrugged.

Another knock, and Wheeler's head appeared. Linka instantly became a block of (metaphorical) ice, but the young American was unusually cold and businesslike.

"Nearly ready, girls? The Geocruiser's waiting. See you in five."

And he was gone. Linka's righteous indignation deflated, and she was lost for words.

"Well, you heard the boss," said Gi with a wink. "Let's go."


	2. Chapter 2

The savannah was alive with the shrilling of crickets. Savage stars speared the black sky, and an orange sliver of moon illuminated the granite outcrop beneath the acacia trees.

There was an old colonial house on the granite, with a Dutch gabled roof and a long, low verandah running the length of the building. A black Rottweiler slept on the concrete floor.

The property was enclosed by a tall wire fence. A large, dusty-winged moth flew against it and perished in a blue flash – the metal was electrified.

A dark figure patrolled the grounds, an AK47 slung casually over one shoulder. After checking the tall gates were secured, he ambled back towards the house. He lit a cigarette. The brief flare showed him to be blond, handsome, with eyelashes so pale they were almost silver. The dog looked up as he passed, then settled its head down again. The blond man stooped briefly to pat it.

From inside the house came the sound of children crying.

"… Something beginning with S."

"It's sky, isn't it?" said Wheeler wearily.

"Not necessarily. It could be any number of things."

"All right, fine. Um … shoe?"

"No, you're right, it was sky." Gi yawned. "This is a long flight."

"Go to sleep then. Linka has." Wheeler glanced over his shoulder. Linka's head was drooping, and one of her iPod earbuds had fallen out. Her face was flushed slightly, and the seat fabric had imprinted a pattern on one of her cheeks. He smiled despite himself. "Looks comfy."

"I don't want to go to sleep. You'd be all by yourself."

Wheeler made a face at her, then turned back to the screen. "We're over land now. Be there in another four hours or so."

Gi watched her friend's blue eyes narrow as he adjusted their course slightly. "You're taking this whole leadership thing seriously, aren't you?"

"Oh yeah." He smiled a little bitterly. "Hey, got to start taking life a bit more seriously, right? Go to sleep. I'll be fine. I promise I'll wake you up if we crash."

"Good of you." Gi settled back in her seat. "Night night."

"Sleep tight."

Wheeler turned his attention to the controls. After a few minutes he glanced at the young Thai, and smiled to see her head nodding. She must have been worn out.

Gaia's face appeared on the screen. "Wheeler? How's it going?"

"Good." He put a finger to his lips. "I'm trying to keep it down. The girls are sleeping."

"I just wanted to let you know – Ma-Ti's going to be with you before tomorrow evening. Kwame is delayed till the day after."

"No problem, Gaia. I've got it under control."

"So I see. I'll check in again when you arrive."

"Sure thing."

The spirit of the earth disappeared.

The night wore on. Wheeler felt his thoughts wandering to earlier that evening. Yet another fight with Linka, yet another scene that left him feeling like a jerk. And was that fair? No way! All he did was knock over a lousy cup of coffee. But no, it became yet another excuse for Linka to tell him how childish and clumsy he was. Sometimes she made him feel like a big, obnoxious, loud American dimwit. Well, missy – no more making a fool of myself to get your attention, Wheeler thought. He turned round to study the Russian.

Damn. Just when he feeling nice and angry with her, she ruined it by looking soft and vulnerable. The book on her lap was about to slide off, and there were goosepimples on her bare arms. Was she cold? Wheeler unbuckled his seat belt and, leaving the Geocruiser on auto, walked over to her seat. He grabbed one of the woolen blankets from the overhead and gently spread it over her.

"There you go, babe. Don't think this is a truce or anything."

Linka murmured something indecipherable, and one of her hands closed on the hem of the blanket. Wheeler stood, looking down at her. There was a piece of hair over her right eye that he longed to brush away, but …

You're staring. Again. He admonished himself. Get over it. Sit back down. You think she'd watch you sleeping like this? Get a grip.

As he sat back down in the pilot's seat, his phone buzzed in his pocket. He answered quickly.

"Takeaway pizza service, can I take your order."

"A large one with the works, as always," came a deep voice. "Wheeler?"

"Kwame!"

Kwame's voice was warm. "How's everything going?"

"Good! And you? Hey, how do you manage to go on a date and get stuck there for two days?"

Kwame laughed. "Bad weather's keeping the planes grounded. I'm in Mozambique."

"Way to impress your girl."

"No such luck, she lives here. I'll be with you as soon as I can."

"No rush. Gi and Lin say hi, or they would if they were awake."

"Flying solo, huh?"

"Yeah. Not too far now, though. I'll see you soon, yes? Take advantage of your extra time."

"I choose not to read too much into that remark."

Wheeler rang off, smiling. On the horizon he saw the faintest sliver of blue, and the land beneath the Geocruiser was no longer formless. Morning wasn't far off. He rubbed his temples and leaned forward. Not much further.

"Good morning, passengers – this is your captain speaking."

Linka groaned and shaded her eyes from the morning sun.

"Conditions are good, and we should be landing in Harare International Airport in approximately thirty minutes. Temperature on the ground is 29 degrees celcius, for those of you who have embraced metric. Which I think is a damn good idea, and I have no idea why we're stuck in good old Imperial. I mean, we're not even a colony anymore."

"Why are we going to Harare? I thought the problem was in Hwange." Linka heard Gi's voice cut in. "It's another couple of hours' flight away."

"Gaia turned up again just before I woke you up," said Wheeler. "Said she's got a package waiting for us at the airport."

"What sort of package?"

"God, who knows? Maybe some sandwiches for the journey. Whatever. We're going."

Linka opened one eye slowly, then the other. Wheeler's red head came into focus.

"Hey, Sleeping Beauty's awake." His smile was bright, but distant. "Welcome to the party."

Linka struggled to sit up straight. "Why didn't you wake me up?" She hated the thought that Wheeler and Gi had both been awake and watching her while she slept. Her mouth was dry – had it dropped open while she slept? Lighten up, Linka, she thought, as Wheeler would say. She smiled.

"Sorry. Not a morning person. Did you say we were just about to land?"

"Not far off," Wheeler replied. "And, you know, I would just kill for a cup of coffee. Organic, fair trade coffee, naturally."

Gi gave him a playful punch on the arm. "Subtle, Captain. I'll …"

"I'll get it," Linka interrupted. Wheeler looked surprised. "Thanks, babe. You don't have to."

"I know." She smiled, trying to inject an apology into her voice. "You've been up all night. Bozhe moy, the least I can do is make you a cup of coffee!"

Wheeler watched her as she moved to the back of the ship. The simple tank top she had worn all night had ridden up a little, exposing the smooth skin of her back. Nice. He snapped his attention back to Gi.

"You were saying, Mermaid?"

"I was saying," she laughed, "that Zimbabwean air traffic control are contacting you."

"Shit!" Wheeler grabbed the mike. "Hi guys, sorry. Yeah, we're coming in. Cool, let us know when we're clear."

"Nice pilot jargon."

"Shut up."

Linka reappeared with a big mug of coffee. Wheeler sipped it. It was a little burnt, and could have done with some sugar, but what the hell. He smiled at her, for real this time. "Thanks, babeoushka."

"Planeteers, you are cleared for landing," came a tinny voice.

Wheeler grasped the controls. "Hang on tight, girls, I'm taking her in."

Linka sneaked a glance at his profile, taut with concentration, then caught Gi's eye. She coughed, embarrassed.

"Careful with that coffee, Yankee," she heard herself saying. "I don't want a repeat of last night."

Wheeler looked at her in exasperation, and the last thing she saw before they touched down was Gi's despairing face.

Ma-Ti sipped his water in the departure lounge, feeling a little impatient. Wheeler should be here any minute – and not a minute too soon. The Zimbabwean guards assigned to him, silent men from the Shona tribe, were deeply superstitious, and Suchi's presence clearly made them uneasy – as did Ma-Ti's obvious bond with the animal.

"Heart," he whispered, and probed for the minds of his friends. He came across Linka's first – cool and crystal clear, with diamond-hard defences and secrets that not even he could coax to the surface. Then Wheeler's, fiery and boiling over with energy and warmth, and Gi's; playful, quick-witted and lively.

Yes, they were nearly here. He caught sight of a familiar red head behind the glass exit doors, and stood up.

"Little buddy!" came an American accent, loud and distinctive in the quiet waiting room. "Like they say, good things come in small packages."

"So this is what we needed to pick up!" said Gi.

"Surprise," said Ma-Ti, grinning broadly. He hugged Gi and then Linka, who seemed a little forlorn.

"_You okay?" _he asked her silently.

"_Fine," _came her answer immediately, but the confused swirl of emotions that accompanied it belied her words.

"So, we going to go kick some serious poacher ass?" said Wheeler. He seemed even taller than the last time Ma-Ti had seen him, and the short-sleeved T-shirt he wore accentuated the strength of his arms. We're not kids anymore, thought Ma-Ti.

"I have made contact with Mapfumo this morning," he said. "He's expecting us for lunch."

"Lunch? That sounds good," said Gi. "Right – no time to waste."

They started striding back to the Geocruiser. Ma-Ti hurried forward a little and fell in step with Wheeler.

"Everything okay with you and Linka?"

"Damn you and your creepy heart powers," said Wheeler with a smile. "Hey, things aren't perfect. But when are they ever, right? No, I'm not wasting any time thinking about her this mission. Onwards and upwards."

Ma-Ti frowned. Wheeler sounded sincere enough, but with uncanny perspicacity his young friend was always aware of the love for Linka that burned beneath the surface of the American's mind – a glow that never failed to show through. Still, Wheeler was right – they needed to concentrate on the matter in hand.

"What did Mapfumo tell you?" Wheeler asked.

"Not much more than Gaia has already said. Three children are missing from Hwange village; the animal population has halved. There is no trace of poachers – no bones, no discarded ammunition, no tyre tracks, nothing. The government won't get involved because it's caught up in the struggle between Mugabe's party and the Movement for Democratic Change. There's simply no attention or money given to problems like this any more."

"Hell, there's no money here full stop," said Wheeler seriously. "This place is scary, Ma-Ti. Who were those goons they assigned to you?"

"Protection, apparently," his friend shrugged. "They didn't like Suchi."

"I can totally get that." Wheeler patted the monkey gingerly. He and Suchi had a love-hate relationship.

The Planeteers walked across the scorching tarmac to the Geocruiser. Ma-Ti got in first, followed by Gi. Wheeler helped Linka up the steps.

"Thanks, Yankee."

"Don't mention it. Hey!" he laughed. "You've got something on your cheek."

Her hand flew self-consciously to her face. "What?"

"I think it's just a smudge of dirt. Here, let me …" he brushed a thumb across the tiny smear, then jolted back as if he had had an electric shock.

Linka gazed wide-eyed. She had felt it too – that spark. "Static," she laughed half-heartedly.

"Yeah, I guess."

They mounted the steps and prepared for the next leg of the journey.


	3. Chapter 3

By the time the Planeteers landed in Hwange National Park, the temperature had risen to thirty-five degrees. The climate inside the Geocruiser was kept at a constant level of heat and humidity, but opening the door to the outside world was like opening the door to a furnace.

Linka could feel the heat from the tarmac radiating up through her trainers as she descended the steps. The runway was a thin asphalt strip surrounded by scrubby yellow bush and thorny acacias, and a collection of tin-roofed buildings constituted the airport.

"Bozhe moy," she breathed. "It's hot."  
"It's hot on Hope Island, babe," said Wheeler, descending to join her.

"Yes, but there's the sea, and the palms … here, there's nothing."

"Yeah, know what you mean."

They were being very careful and polite with one another. Linka almost wanted one of the American's flip comments or slightly dirty jokes to lighten the mood.

"There's Tendai!" said Gi. A tall figure had emerged from one of the buildings, and was waving. The Planeteers saw a flash of white teeth in a dark face as their contact walked towards them. Wheeler strode forward to meet him with an uncharacteristically serious expression. Ma-Ti and Suchi followed, but Linka held Gi's arm to keep her back.

"Gi!" she whispered. "What is the matter with Wheeler?"

"The matter?" Gi's brown eyes sparkled with amusement. "What do you mean?"

"He's acting so … strange."

"You mean responsible? Serious? Grown up?" Gi said the last words with a little malice.

"Well … yes."

"I thought you'd be glad. Isn't it what you're always saying to him?"

"You mean he has turned over a new tree?"

"New leaf. Yes." Gi smiled wickedly. "Or do you miss the old Wheeler?" She ran to catch up with the boys. Linka, after a minute, followed.

Wheeler was shaking hands with Tendai.

"Hi. I'm Wheeler. This is Ma-Ti, and the Furball …"

"Suchi," Ma-Ti intervened.

"…and these lovely ladies are Linka and Gi."

"_Mangwanani_, Planeteers," said the Zimbabwean, smiling. "Good morning. I am Tendai, a game ranger for the National Park Service."  
"This is quite an office you got here, Tendai," said Wheeler, gesturing to the broad sweep of savannah and bush.

"You cannot beat the view," Tendai chuckled. "I am glad you have come. We need your help."

"So I hear. Tell us about it."

"I will – but over lunch. I trust you are hungry."

"Always, man," laughed Wheeler.

Tendai had an open-topped safari buggy parked behind the airport. The Planeteers piled in. The smell of hot leather and gasoline rose from the vehicle as they set off, jolting over the bumps in the dirt road.

Linka stole a glance at Wheeler's profile. He was wearing sunglasses, and his forehead was beaded with sweat. He had rolled his sleeves back to expose strong brown forearms. She reached for him and laid a hand gently on his arm, but he jerked it away.

"Oh, sorry babe," he said. "I just wasn't expecting …"

"No, no, that is fine." Linka's cheeks were burning.

"Hey, so what were you going to say?"

"Nothing. It doesn't matter." The Russian settled her sunglasses firmly on her nose.

"Look to your left," their guide shouted over the noise of the engine. "_Twiza._ Giraffe."

Three of the long-legged animals were walking about a hundred metres off the road, their necks swaying.

"Amazing," said Wheeler. "They look so colourful in a zoo, but you can hardly see them in the shadow of the trees."

Tendai was frowning. "I'm sure that group had a baby with them. Maybe I was wrong."

"Or maybe the poachers have struck again," suggested Ma-Ti. He reached out to the minds of the giraffes. "They are feeling … grief," he said, eyes closed.

"Well, that answers that question," said Wheeler. "Your ring's coming in handy today."

"I can feel the grief without any ring," said Tendai quietly. "It is in the air here at Hwange. This park is my home, my job and also where my heart lies. These last few days have been the worst of my life."

It was an unusually long speech for the softly-spoken Shona man. Wheeler reached out and laid a hand on his shoulder.

"We know. And we're going to do anything we can to help. That's our job."

"Da," Linka nodded. "Whatever is causing this, we will find out, and stop it."

"_Masvita tatenda_," said Tendai gratefully. "Thank you, Planeteers. You bring hope here."

"Tendai," said Gi, leaning forward in her seat, "the land seems very dry. Isn't the rainy season around the corner?"

"Yes, but we are in a state of drought. This just makes things all the more difficult. It is so hard for the animals to find water holes."

"Could you stop the car for a moment?" asked the Thai.

Mapfumo drew to a halt in a cloud of red dust. Gi aimed her ring towards the giraffe they had passed a moment ago. "Water!"

Water from beneath the red earth seeped up through the ground and formed a shallow pool not far from the animals. Their graceful heads turned, and they loped towards it.

"It won't solve the problem," said Gi, "but at least we will have done something useful before lunch!"

After another ten minutes of driving, the buggy drew up to a collection of round huts with thatched roofs, shaded by flat-topped trees.

"Welcome to the _rondaavels_," said Tendai, switching off the engine. "This is where you'll be staying."

"It's lovely," said Gi.

"The kitchen hut is that large one there," said Tendai, pointing. Wooden picnic tables surrounded it. "Get settled in, and I will see you very soon."

"Thanks, Tendai." Wheeler swung the Planeteers' bags out of the boot.

The rooms were attractive, with polished red-earth floors, white linen on the beds and mosquito nets hanging from the ceilings. The floor sloped down towards one wall, where a showerhead protruded. A plug in the floor directly beneath showed that this would be where the Planeteers washed.

Wheeler flicked a large bug off the nearest mosquito net.

"Well, two beds in each hut. I guess we're bunking together, little buddy. Kwame will have to take his chances."

The boys left Linka and Gi to their devices. Gi collapsed instantly on the bed, while Linka started to unpack.

"What do you think?" she held a shirt up to her chest.

"Think of what?" asked Gi, propping herself up on one elbow. "Aren't you going to wear your Planeteer shirt?"

"I thought I might wear something different," said Linka self-consciously.

"That's a little low-cut, isn't it? There's no need to impress the animals, Linka …"

"I'm not trying to impress anyone! Fine, forget it." The Russian's back was stiff as she turned away. Gi looked at her for a minute.

"Linka, have you and Wheeler talked since last night? You seemed to be getting on so much better lately …"

"I don't want to talk about it."

Gi sighed. She longed to tell Linka to open up, let her guard down and have a girl-to-girl chat, but she knew her friend too well. Linka would always be Linka – prickly, a little reserved, but with so much humour, warmth and loyalty beneath the surface that you could forgive her anything. Even when she refused to give Gi all the juicy details of her relationship with the young American.

Linka was remembering another trip to Africa not so long ago – to Kwame's native Kenya. There had been a moment there when … but no, she would not think about it right now.

She and Wheeler's past was a fiery two-steps-forward, one-step-back dance of indecision – they would share a moment, get a little closer, then inevitably the American would say or do something that brought her emotional 'forcefield' (as he had once called it) up. Whether that something was making an inappropriate joke, going too fast for her cautious nature or simply getting under her skin a little deeper than she liked, it always ended in a fight. And then the aftermath.

This time felt different, though. What was the last thing she had said to him? "Grow up, Yankee?" Linka pulled off her hairband and shook her blonde hair out onto her shoulders. Don't be silly, Linka, she told herself sternly. Focus on what we need to do here. She tied her hair up again and splashed a little water on her face.

"Come on, Gi. Let's go outside and wait for them."

Gi rolled her eyes, then followed the determined Russian. Linka was clearly in no mood for either chat or relaxation today.


	4. Chapter 4

Lunch was a barbecue – thick steaks and boerewors (a southern African sausage), salads and bread. The Planeteers ate hungrily while Mapfumo talked.

"It started with almost half a herd of zebra. Then a litter of lion cubs went missing. We had been observing that particular family for months, so we noticed their absence at once."

"Did you have some kind of tracking device on them?" Ma-Ti broke in. "Surely that would …"

Tendai shook his head sadly. "It was like they had never existed, We could get no signal from the microchips – absolutely nothing. They just disappeared completely."

Wheeler started humming the Twilight Zone theme under his breath.

"Since then, more animals have gone missing – in huge numbers. And children, as you have heard." Mapfumo was silent for a moment. "Three children, playing beside a water hole."

"What makes you think their fate is connected to that of the animals?" asked Linka. "Perhaps they vanished for a different reason entirely."

Mapfumo nodded. "Yes, that is what I thought. But there was one thing …"

He reached into his pocket, and drew out a piece of folded cloth. "There was never anything found on the sites where the animals disappeared. But when we searched for the children, we found these."

Two things. A tiny mechanical contraption, shaped to look like a fly, with a camera implanted into its metal head. And a strip of zebra skin, smelly and stained with blood.

"This was cut with a sharp knife," said Wheeler, examining it. "And as for the little machine …"

"It reminds me of one of Luten Plunder's tracking devices," said Gi. "Like the one he used in China that time …"

"I remember!" said Linka. "It would cling to the panda's fur and scramble any signals from its microchips."

"And it looks just like a fly," Ma-Yi broke in, "so if oyu saw it, you wouldn't suspect anything …"

"That's pretty conclusive," said Wheeler. "Looks like Plunder may be behind this thing after all."

"Don't assume too much, Yankee," said Linka sharply. "Not until we find out more."

Wheeler's cheeks went the colour of his hair – whether with embarrassment or plan irritation, Linka couldn't tell.

"Yeah, well, of course we'll investigate this properly."

"Thank you, Planeteers." Tendai smiled at them. "This afternoon I will take you to the site where the children disappeared. Would that be a good first step?"

An hour later, the Geocruiser landed beside a water hole. The surrounding grass and bush was apparently deserted – although Ma-Ti could sense the presence of many small animals and birds not immediately apparent to the naked eye.

"This is where it happened," said Tendai sadly as they stepped down from the vehicle. "Twin sisters and their elder brother. Children of another ranger here in Hwange."

"Whose kids are they?" Wheeler asked as they walked to the water's edge. "What's his name?"

"Her name. Sarudzai. She has been a colleague of mine for over ten years. She is no longer working with us, however."

"Yeah, I can imagine. Great way to get someone out of the picture." Wheeler knelt on the banks of the water hole – although there wasn't much water left in it. "More of a mud hole, this."

"The drought," said Tendai heavily.

"It could be working to our advantage, though," said Gi, also kneeling beside the water. "Look at these."

Her finger traced the imprint of heavy tyre marks in the mud.

"They must have been hidden by the water before it dried up."

"Tyre tracks _in_ the water?" said Wheeler. "And none on the banks? This is too weird."

Linka was standing still, listening. "There is no sound of birdsong. Is that normal, Tendai?"

The Shona shook his head. "The birds stopped singing here after the children disappeared. The villagers think there is some kind of curse on us."

"Seriously?" Wheeler raised his eyebrows.

"Oh yes – the fear of black magic is very strong here. And the _n'anga _doesn't help."

"Nanga?" Wheeler's Brooklyn accent made the word sound even more outlandish.

"Witchdoctor."

Linka shivered slightly. "I don't like the sound of that."

Wheeler straightened up decisively. "Neither do I. Can we meet this witchdoctor, Tendai? I've got a bad feeling about the guy."

"Certainly. I will take you."

The village, when they reached it, was small but prosperous. A busy market was doing a roaring trade.

"You American?" an elderly lady screeched at Wheeler. Her face was so lined that her eyes were hardly visible.

"Er … yeah," said Wheeler cautiously. He was used to meeting with anti-American sentiment in a lot of the countries they visited.

"You buy this!"

The old crone thrust a woven basket into the American's face.

"Um, I really don't think …"

"You buy! US dollars!"

"Hey, calm down." Wheeler rummaged in a pocket. "How much do you want for it?"

"One hundred US!"

"What? You've got to be freaking kidding!"

The old woman's eyes glinted avariciously. "One hundred!"

"No, forget it."

"Wheeler!" said Linka sternly. "Don't be so cheap."

"Cheap!" he spluttered. "I don't see you reaching for your roubles, babe …"

Mapfumo said something to the old woman in Shona, and she moved away, grumbling. As they moved through the market, Linka exclaimed at a tiny stone sculpture. She stopped to look at it, despite Gi's pulling her along.

"What is it?" she asked the street vendor.

A rapid sentence was translated by Tendai. "It is the Zimbabwe bird. Our national emblem. It appears in the carvings on the walls of Great Zimbabwe, the stone ruin from which our country gets its name."

"It is beautiful." Linka stroked the polished stone.

Wheeler stepped forward. "How much?"

"_Gumi madhoro!_"

The redhead looked questioningly at Mapfumo, who translated again. "Ten US dollars."

"Hey, now that's a number I can totally get behind." Wheeler handed over a handful of notes. "Pleasure doing business with you."

The vendor placed the little bird in his hand. By this time, Tendai, Gi and Ma-Ti had moved on ahead.

"Here you go, babe." Wheeler held out the sculpture to Linka. "It's yours."

She took it from him. "You didn't have to do that, Yankee." She smiled, a genuine smile, and Wheeler marveled once again at how it transformed her face. Her green eyes had a depth of colour to them that was almost unnatural, and her smile revealed two dimples that made his heart turn over.

"You're beautiful," he said, almost involuntarily.

Linka looked up at him silently.

"Guys!" Gi called from ahead. "Come on!"

Linka turned to follow her, and, after a minute, Wheeler did too.

They reached a small, dark hut. A bead curtain swung in the doorway.

"This is the home of the _n'anga_," said Tendai. "I will go in first." He disappeared.

"Creepy," Wheeler commented. A black rooster, scrawny and red-eyed, was pecking at scraps outside the hut's open door.

"This place gives me a bad feeling," says Ma-Ti.

Tendai stepped out into the street again. "He says he will only see two of you," he said in some bewilderment. "You, Wheeler, and Linka."

"Does he know our names?" asked Wheeler in surprise.

"No, but he said 'the one with red hair and the one with yellow hair'."

"Pretty spot-on descriptions," said Wheeler dryly. "Okay, come on babe. Let's get this over with."

One hand on her back, he guided her in, then followed.

Inside, the hut was dark, illuminated only by a small red fire. A pot of soup bubbled over it. There was a rustle from behind the flames, but the planeteers could see no one.

"Hi," said Wheeler. "I don't know what your official title is, sorry."

A chuckle came from the blackness. Wheeler pressed on.

"We're here to ask about those kids that disappeared. You said they had been cursed, apparently?"

"How is your father?" asked a voice, unexpectedly. Squinting, Linka could just make out the shape of a tall headdress.

"What's my father got to do with things?" asked Wheeler sharply.

"He will not live for much longer, fire-bringer. You should visit him."

Wheeler was silent for a moment, and then cried, "Fire!"

A flame shot up from his ring and illuminated the room. A spindly figure crouched in one corner started to cackle.

"Who are you?" asked the fire planeteer.

"Who are _you_?" asked the _n'anga_, laughing again.

"I could get this crap from a sideshow psychic," said Wheeler. "Tell us what we need to know."

"Wheeler!" Linka scolded. "Be polite."

"Ah yes." The witchdoctor's attention turned to the Russian. "You like birds, little yellow-head? But you don't like to see them caged. Why, then, are you in a cage of your own making?"

Linka paused, confused. Wheeler grabbed her arm. "Come on, babe. Let's get out of here."

As they turned to leave, the witchdoctor shrieked. "Something stirs beneath the water! I have warned you. Don't say I didn't warn you!"

Hysterical laughter followed the retreating planeteers as they emerged into the light.

"That guy is totally unhinged," said Wheeler, feeling unsettled. His father was very sick, it was true – after a lifetime of alcoholism, his liver was about to give up on him. But how would the witchdoctor know that? Perhaps he read it, thought Wheeler rationally. The Planeteers made occasional appearances in the tabloids, like any celebrities, and the media was always quick to pounce on any skeletons in the family closet.

Although, surely he would have known if his dad had been written about?

Linka was equally perturbed, trying to make sense of the witchdoctor's comments. "Da. He was no help at all," she agreed. "Let's go back to camp before it gets dark. We'll think again in the morning."

The first stars were piercing the grey sky by the time the group returned to the _rondaavels_, and the sound of crickets filled the air.

Gi sniffed. "Smells like rain?"

"Sadly, I doubt it," said Tendai, pulling in to the driveway. "Our hopes have been raised like this often in the past few weeks, but it comes to nothing."

Wheeler slapped at a mosquito that was feasting on his arm. "Ow! Time to get into a long-sleeved shirt, I think."

"I've got some insect repellent in my bag," said Linka.

"That's right, little Miss Organised." Wheeler's eyes were warm. He had seen her stroking the little stone sculpture on the drive back.

After dinner they settled in around a campfire. Tendai had a battered acoustic guitar which he passed to Wheeler.

"Sweet." The American strummed a few chords, then started to play 'Tears in Heaven'. "An oldie but a goodie."

"Play something we can sing, Wheeler," Gi complained.

Without missing a beat, he surged straight into 'The Lion Sleeps Tonight'. He had a good voice, as did Linka, and the two of them had fun with harmonies on the chorus. Tendai provided percussion, accompanying them on a small skin drum. As they dissolved into laughter after the song, none of them noticed the dark figure just beyond the firelight who watched for a few moments, then slipped away.

The night wore on. After a while, Tendai made his excuses and went to bed, smiling at the stamina of the young Planeteers. Ma-Ti left not long after. Soon it was just Wheeler, Linka and Gi.

Wheeler was still idly playing on the guitar, reclining against a log. Linka rested her head on his knees in a trusting gesture that made his heart swell with protectiveness and pride. Gi smiled at them, hugging her knees.

Wheeler stopped strumming and set the guitar down. "This is nice," he said with a sigh. "Apart from the mosquitoes, of course."

"And the moths," said Gi, swatting at one. "Shoo."

Wheeler tentatively stroked Linka's hair. "You okay, babe? You look pretty sleepy."

"Da, I think I will go to bed." Linka sat up and stretched, then shivered.

"You cold?" Wheeler quickly pulled off his sweatshirt. "Here."

"Thank you." Linka took it a little hesitantly. "Well, good night. Good night, Gi." She paused. "I just want to say, Yankee – you're doing a very good job on this mission. SO far," she added quickly. Linka wouldn't be Linka if she wasn't cautious with her praise.

She left, and Wheeler followed her with her eyes. Damn. Yearning looks again. Didn't he plan to stop doing that?

"You okay?" Gi asked quietly, shifting a little closer.

"Yeah, fine." The young American smiled a little wistfully. "She's just so damn pretty, you know? And sweet. Super smart, too."

"You've got it bad." She punched him playfully on the arm.

"I've had it bad for years." Wheeler sighed and leaned back. "And it hasn't gotten me anywhere."

"But it will! I have always had a good feeling about you two, from the very beginning."

"Yeah, which was six years ago. I mean, am I just being a dumbass? I should have taken the hint by now, right?" Wheeler was silent for a minute, resting his chin on one hand.

Gi laid a hand on his arm.

"I understand, Wheeler. I really do. I've been watching the two of you for years now …"

"Yeah, and doing your best to throw us together," said Wheeler. He smiled warmly to show he was just kidding.

"Well, maybe," Gi laughed. "I don't know what you can do about Linka. Sometimes I think she'll never change."

"Know that feeling," said Wheeler bitterly. He scuffed the toe of his trainer against the granite. "You think I should maybe just … let go of the whole thing?"

"You mean stop pursuing her?"

"I don't know. Maybe. Yes." He turned to her, his eyes very dark in the moonlight. "Maybe it's time for me to stop deluding myself that there's something there. I guess I'm just not the kind of guy she would be interested in."

"Oh, Wheeler …" Gi was, for once, lost for words. "I don't know what to tell you. I'm so sure that Linka has more feelings for you than she will admit, but she's so complicated."

"Yeah, I know." Wheeler smiled a little sadly. "Why couldn't I get involved with someone more straightforward?"

"Well, I'm pretty straightforward," Gi laughed.

"You're a great friend, Gi," said the American seriously. "I'm sorry you have to be in the middle of all this."

"That's okay. I'm just glad I can help."

"Yeah, I know you are," said Wheeler. He reached out and kissed her lightly on the cheek. "Thanks, hon."

He moved away slightly, but stayed close to her. Gi felt very strange, and did not speak. The fire planeteer looked closely into her brown eyes, then moved forward again; this time more purposefully. Just before his lips touched Gi's he glanced at her, questioningly, and the expression in her eyes encouraged him to kiss her gently.

Gi didn't know what to think. Wheeler had always been like a big brother to her. Sure, she thought he was good looking, and charming, and they always had a great time together, but … and then she had no more time for thinking, because the kiss had deepened. Making a tiny sound, half-laugh half-sob, she put up a hand to first clutch Wheeler's coat collar, and then touch his hair. Wheeler pulled her a little closer, and carried on kissing her with an intensity that made her head spin.

After some minutes, they broke apart. Gi was breathing quickly, and she found that somehow they had moved to a reclining position. A pair of blue eyes looked appealingly into her own.

"Oh god, Gi … I'm so sorry."

Gi said nothing. She felt numb, as if she was in shock.

"Oh man, I'm such an idiot. I'm just so, so sorry, Gi."

Wheeler scrambled to his feet, shaking his head.

"And I'm so damn selfish. Oh god …"

There was a break in his voice, and his eyes shone. Without saying anything more, he touched her shoulder with a tentative, gentle gesture, and then ran. Gi was left half-sitting, half-lying down on the granite, feeling confused and a little frightened.

Wheeler ran past the rondaavels and into the bush on the other side, feeling like a real jerk. What had he done? Alienated one of his closest friends by kissing her after he'd been whining about another woman for half an hour? That was about it. He didn't know what had come over him. A heady combination of the moonlight, the confusion of his emotions about Linka and Gi's friendly support had just made him into … a mess. Some leader he was turning out to be, managing to either piss off or sexually harass every member of his team, he told himself.

He was so engrossed in berating himself that he didn't hear the noise behind him, and therefore had no defence against the blow to the head that knocked him out.


	5. Chapter 5

Linka sat up in the narrow bed, hugging her knees. Her heavy textbook lay unopened on the thin covers beside her. She had pulled down the mosquito net and one of the thwarted insects was whining near her head. She swatted it with the textbook and it fell to the polished earth floor.

"Finally, I used that book for something useful," she muttered.

She looked at the coffee stains which decorated the pages, and smiled. Wheeler could be such a big kid sometimes. They hadn't talked properly since last night. Maybe she should go and find him …

The idea held appeal. Linka swung her long legs out of bed. She started to tie her hair up, but then changed her mind and left it lying loose and golden on her shoulders. Pulling a powder compact from her bag, she quickly checked her face. Maybe she should put a little lip gloss on …?

"Angelika!" she admonished herself. "It's only Wheeler, after all. He has seen you at our worst."

And yet … maybe just a little. She quickly swiped the brush across her full lips and examined her reflection again. Better.

Her heart beating a little faster, she went in search of the young American. She checked the campfire first.

"Gi!"

Gi started at the sound of her friend's voice. "Oh … Linka." Her voice sounded strange.

"Gi, where's Wheeler?"

"Oh …" Gi seemed lost for words. "I think he may have gone to bed by now. He went for a walk."

"Where?"

Gi pointed. "But he's been gone a while."

"Wheeler should have known better than to go for a walk in the African bush at this time of night … alone!" said Linka, appalled. "What was he thinking?"

"I don't think he was thinking," said Gi quietly. She got to her feet. "I wasn't thinking either. I shouldn't have let him go."

"No, you shouldn't," said Linka sharply. She felt the sour taste of fear in her mouth. "Let us wake Ma-Ti. He will be able to find him."

Gi bit her lip. Would Ma-Ti be able to find out about what had happened when he tapped into Wheeler's mind? It's a risk she would have to take.

"Okay. Let's go."

Ma-Ti was shaken awake.

"Wha … what?"

Linka's green eyes blazed down into his own. "Wheeler is missing!"

"Wheeler? Missing?" said Ma-Ti stupidly.

"Yes! You must try to contact him!"

Ma-Ti shook his head in an attempt to clear it. "Are you wearing lip gloss? I can smell strawberries."

"That is irrelevant!" Linka snapped.

"Sorry." Ma-Ti raised his ring. "Heart."

He got a confused impression of muffled sound and flashing colours, but nothing coherent. He frowned.

"I … I can't find him."

"What!" Linka sat down on the bed, one hand over her mouth. "Bozhe moy! Where are you, Yankee?"

Gi's face was white and strained. Ma-Ti contacted her quickly. "_Do you know something about what happened? Did Wheeler and Linka have another fight?"_ He'd known the American to storm off before after a run-in with Linka.

"_No …" _Gi's thought came hesitantly. _"It's complicated."_

From her mind Ma-Ti received a quick impression of what had occurred down by the campfire. His eyes widened.

"_Please don't tell Linka,"_ Gi begged him. "_He was confused and hurt. He didn't mean to do it."_

"_I won't. And are you all right?"_

"_I'm fine. A little shocked, but fine. The important thing is to find Wheeler."_

"Ma-Ti! Gi!" Linka was staring at them both. "What's going on? What are you waiting for? Come on!"

They woke up Tendai, who was instantly wide awake and full of concern. "There are many dangers in the bush," he said, strapping on a rifle. "We must find him at once."

"Shall we take the Geocruiser?" asked Gi.

"No – better to track him on the ground. I will find his trail."

The Planeteers followed their Shona guide to the campfire. Tendai found the spot where Wheeler and Gi had been sitting.

"He stood up and started running immediately," Tendai stated. "This was no moonlight stroll."

"Did something happen, Gi?" asked Linka.

"We had a talk," said Gi reluctantly. "And something was … said … that upset him. He ran off. He was pretty upset."

Linka raised an eyebrow. "What were you talking about?"

"Never mind that now," said Ma-Ti quickly. "Can you follow the trail from here, Tendai?"

The Shona man's tracking abilities seemed almost supernatural. He led them away from the campfire into a scrubby patch of undergrowth. One hand on his gun, he motioned to the Planeteers to stay where they were, and disappeared. A few minutes later he returned.

"There was a struggle," he said bleakly. "There was someone waiting for him in the bushes. I have found this."

He held up something small which winked and shone in the moonlight.

Something red.

"Wheeler's ring," breathed Linka.

"And there was this." Tendai held up a leaf speckled with a black liquid. At least, it looked black in the darkness.

"Is that blood?" asked Ma-Ti in horror.

"I am afraid so. It looks like someone knew you were here, and wanted to stop your investigations," said Tendai, shaking his head.

"Are you sure it was a person?" asked Gi. "Not an animal?"

"I am sure. There are clear footprints. They look like they belong to a man, by the size."

"If Plunder is behind this …" said Gi. "It seems like the kind of thing he would do."

Linka swallowed. Her mouth was very dry. "We must go after them. Tendai – where did the trail lead?"

"That is the strange thing," said Tendai. "It led to a water hole beyond the trees – right to the edge. Then disappeared."

The Planeteers stood silent, remember the tyre tracks they had seen earlier that day.

"There is something very strange going on," said Tendai.

"We will get to the bottom of it," said Linka fiercely. "And we will find Wheeler."

Colours, shifting. A face, blank and eyeless, staring into his own before moving away. Voices that sounded like they were coming from underwater. Then blackness, and silence.

Wheeler groaned, shifting his head on its hard pillow. His head was throbbing, with a sharp pain stabbing his left eye. He lifted one hand to his hair, which felt damp, then held it in front of his eyes.

"The red's coming out," he thought stupidly, his mind still fuzzy. Then, as his senses started to return, he realized what the redness really was.

"I'm bleeding. Dammit!"

He sat up painfully. It was no easy process – his limbs were stiff and cold, and moving them sent the blood rushing back into them in a flood of pins and needles.

Right. Now he was sitting upright, he could assess the situation. Not that there was really anything to assess.

He was in almost complete darkness, and could see nothing of his surroundings. He felt carefully around himself. No cage or bars of any kind. And no ropes binding him. His voice, when he had spoken, had an echoey sound which seemed to indicate that he was in a large space. Maybe a cave? It smelled musty and damp.

His hand touched something wet, and he jerked it back. After a minute he felt for it again, slowly. Water? He licked his fingers gingerly. Definitely water. Further exploration revealed that he was on a slab of rock entirely surrounded by water. He picked up a pebble and tossed it a little way. A splash. He tried again, throwing it further. Another splash. Then a little further.

Aha! The pebble had clattered on a hard surface.

Feeling pleased with himself, Wheeler relaxed for a minute. If he only had some light …

Of course. His ring.

He lifted his right hand. "Fire!"

Nothing. Heart sinking, he held his head in his hands. Double damn! Either he had lost it when that bastard had knocked him out, or someone had taken it.

Great. Just great.

So what was he meant to do … sit here in the dark waiting to get rescued? No way. He struggled to his feet, feeling light-headed. He knew there was something solid over there. He just had to swim to it.

And yes, he knew how stupid it was to dive into dark, unknown waters. But what choice did he have? With a deep breath, he dived in.

The water was surprisingly cold, and Wheeler gasped as he rose to the surface. He struck out strongly for land, hoping very much that he was going in the right direction – but before he could get very far, the cave (for it was a cave) was illuminated by a pair of headlights.

"It's an eco-brat!" said a smooth, cultured voice which sounded very familiar. "Well I never. You were right."

"I said I'd got one, boss," grunted another voice.

Wheeler shaded his eyes against the glare and trod water.

"Well, little firebug," said the smooth voice, "keep going. Don't let us stop you."

"Plunder!" said Wheeler.

"Yes, well done. I can't say your presence here is entirely unexpected."

"I can't say yours is, either," Wheeler snapped back, imitating Plunder's sarcastic tone.

"Well, swim to shore, little Planeteer. Come along."

"I'm quite comfortable in the water, thank you."

"Would you like me to come and give you a hand?"

There was no option. Wheeler, faking a bravado which he did not feel, struck out in long, lazy strokes. Soon he was clambering up onto another rock shelf. He shook some of the water off, and straightened up.

"Glad to see you're up and about," said Plunder, stepping down from the driver's cabin. "I really thought Ripper here might have killed you."

"Takes more than a tap on the head," said Wheeler.

"So I see. Well – we can't have you running about like this." Plunder motioned to his henchman, who emerged grinning from the other side of the truck. In his hands was a thick length of rope.

"Ripper, would you like to do the honours?"

"My pleasure."

In the struggle, Wheeler saw more of his blood spilled on the dark stone. He lay, panting, on his side, the rough Hessian cord rubbing his wrists raw. His head was spinning again.

"Take him to the holding bay," said Plunder.


	6. Chapter 6

Kwame stepped down from the light aircraft that had transported him from Mozambique. The young Kenyan slung his backpack over one shoulder and shaded his eyes from the sun. Squinting, he looked towards the airport. Was someone here to meet him?

A figure stepped out from the building. Kwame couldn't quite make his features out, but he recognized the khaki uniform and casually-held AK47. Why would a soldier be meeting him here?

"Good morning," he said cautiously. "I am Kwame."

"One of the Planeteers," said the strange man. His white teeth flashed in a smile. "I have come to take you to them."

Kwame inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. "Great. Thank you."

"No problem." The soldier led the way to a brown jeep parked beyond the airport building. He helped Kwame with his bag, then climbed into the driver's seat.

"So where are they staying?" Kwame asked.

"It's a bit of a drive," the soldier responded. "We will be there in one hour."

XXXXXXX

"Kwame!"

Gi sat up, rubbing her eyes. The Planeteers had finally fallen into an exhausted sleep in the early hours of the morning, at Tendai's urging. He knew they'd have a better chance of finding Wheeler in the daylight – especially if they'd had some rest.

Linka woke up at Gi's cry. Her eyes were suspiciously red, and she sniffed a little as she sat up. She and Gi had fallen into an exhausted sleep on Gi's bed.

"Wheeler?" she asked hopefully.

"No news." Gi shook her head. "But I just remembered – Kwame's arriving today!"

"Oh, good." Linka sounded relieved. "When will he be here?"

"I think he was meant to arrive this morning. Tendai will know."

Gi slipped her feet into a pair of shoes and pulled on a sweater. Scorching during the day, the game park's temperature dropped to near-freezing during the night, and it was still cold outside.

"Six in the morning," said Gi, looking at her watch. "Tendai will be awake."

"I'll get ready," said Linka. "See you soon, Gi."

Gi paused, then turned back and gave her friend a quick hug. Linka's shoulders felt very thin beneath her shirt.

"Don't worry, Linka. Everything's going to be fine, I just know it."

She threw the young Russian one of her infectious grins, and sprinted out of the hut.

XXXXXXX

Linka sighed and swung her legs out of bed. There was a shower in the corner of the girls' _rondaavel_, but she preferred to go to the washrooms, where there was a little more privacy. Clutching her towel, clothes and toiletries bag, she stepped out into the chilly morning air.

The sun had risen, a red ball against a grey sky, and the strange, early-morning light made everything look silvery and surreal. Linka reached the washroom, her toes curling up from the cold concrete floor, and turned on the shower.

"Bozhe moy!"

The water was freezing. No hot water here, obviously. Linka washed as quickly as she could, then pulled on her clothes. When she emerged, Gi, Ma-Ti and Tendai were waiting outside.

"Bad news, I am afraid," said the Shona guide gravely.

"Oh, not more bad news!" Linka cried. "Is it Wheeler?"

"No – Kwame. I have heard from my contacts at the airport. He has arrived in Hwange, but was picked up at the airport by someone claiming to be bringing him here."

"Who was it?" Linka broke in.

"We don't know," said Gi. "Ma-Ti's trying to contact him now."

The youngest Planeteer had his eyes closed, and a look of deep concentration on his face. After a few minutes he broke the connection with Kwame, and sighed.

"Well, I have spoken to him. He was picked up at the airport by a man in army uniform. After they had been driving for an hour, Kwame became suspicious and asked if they were really coming to join us. The man pulled a gun on him and told him to stay quiet. They are still driving. Kwame is bound and gagged."

"It gets worse and worse!" said Linka despairingly. "Two Planeteers down, and we haven't even got to the bottom of the disappearing animals!"

"No news on the vanished children, either," said Gi. "Ma-Ti, have you tried contacting Wheeler again?"

"I have, but something is blocking me from contacting him," Ma-Ti replied. "It may be that he's in a very polluted area – that would interfere with the ring's power."

"Or maybe he's …" Linka began fearfully.

"No," said Ma-Ti quickly. "I can feel his presence. He is out there somewhere."

"Well," said Gi decisively, "We have a clearer idea of where Kwame is. Ma-Ti can track him down. Let's go after him first."

"I will stay here and try to find Wheeler."

"Linka …" Gi hesitated. The young Russian's full lips were set in a determined line, and her arms were crossed in front of her chest.

"Do you think that's a good idea?" Gi asked gently. "I know you're worried, but I don't think we should split the Planeteers up more than we have to."

"Gi, I have made up my mind."

"Well, okay." Gi shrugged. "Ma-Ti and I will take the Cruiser and go with Tendai to track Kwame down."

"I shall head back to the waterhole where Wheeler disappeared." Linka ran a hand through her blonde hair. "And I will find out where he is. I will."

XXXXXXX

As Linka was picturing a pair of blue eyes, Wheeler was picturing her green ones. Disapproving green ones.

"_Look at the mess you've got yourself into, Yankee!"_ said the imaginary Linka's voice inside his head.

"Yeah, fine leader I've been," said Wheeler to himself. He adjusted his wrists slightly – the bonds were chafing them. A lock of red hair fell into his eyes, and he tried to blow it out. "Dammit."

Plunder and his henchman were long gone, leaving the young American bound to a pipe in the holding bay. Wheeler could see large crates stacked around the rocky underground bay – some of them occupied by animals. So that explained where all the missing animals went … but where did they go from here? Holding bay … so there was a final destination after this. Was Plunder shipping them to zoos?

A pair of zebra was contained in the crate nearest Wheeler – he could see their stripes through the airholes. Not that there were many airholes. Ma-Ti would go mad if he could see how the animals were contained – no water that Wheeler could see, no space and certainly no light. The smell was terrible.

To divert his mind from his surroundings, Wheeler thought back over the last few days. His fight with Linka … his kiss with Gi. What a messed-up disaster that had been. And he had been so keen to prove to the critical Russian that he had grown up – that he wasn't just that dumb kid from Brooklyn anymore. Well, that plan seriously backfired. He seemed to have spent most of the last few years trying to impress her, with very little effect. Was it really time to give up on her?

He thought back to earlier that year. After finding out that Linka had never seen _The Princess Bride_, he had been horrified.

"You've gotta see it, babe. You'll love it!"

"I don't usually enjoy your sort of movie, Yankee," Linka had snapped back.

"And when have you ever given my sort of movie a chance?" Wheeler had responded. "Come on, babe! It's got everything … romance, sword-fighting, magic …"

"Fine!" said Linka, laughing. "Fine, I will be watching it. I will watch it, I mean," she corrected.

Wheeler had arranged a private viewing in the main hut. The others were out – Gi's doing, he wondered? – and they had the place to themselves. Wheeler had been careful not to come on too strong. No yawning and stretching his arm over her shoulders. In fact, he had carefully sat at the opposite end of the couch. It was Linka who gradually inched over as the movie progressed. By the end of the first hour she had been lying in his lap, resting her feet on the opposite arm.

"Cute socks," he remarked, pulling at one of them.

"Leave them alone, Yankee!" Linka laughed. Her smile was genuine, and her cheeks slightly flushed. She seemed to be really enjoying herself. Popping a piece of chocolate in her mouth, she mumbled, "This is a good film. I am enjoying."

Wheeler smiled and stroked her hair lightly. "I'm glad. It's one of my favourites."

She shifted her head so that she was looking up at him, and smiled almost flirtatiously. "And we have the whole place to ourselves."

Wheeler raised an eyebrow. "We certainly do, babe."

Linka settled down again. "It is nice."

"Sure is," Wheeler agreed, then added cautiously, "It's nice to have some time with you."

"Da." Linka didn't look up. "It is nice to spend time with you too. You have a very comfortable lap."

"Why thank you." Wheeler was almost holding his breath. It was all going so well. He just needed to take it easy and not push her too much. He traced a finger lightly down her arm, and watched the fine blonde hairs rise with goosepimples. Linka put one of her hands on his and held it there. "Stop it, that tickles."

That flirtatious tone was still there. Wheeler took advantage of it, and leant down to quickly kiss her behind the ear. "Sorry, babe. That better?"

"No!" she giggled. "It's worse, as you well know." She turned round and looked up at him. Wheeler had no idea what was happening on the screen at that point, and didn't much care. He bent his head down again and kissed Linka softly, full on the lips. She did not pull away, and he could feel her smiling.

"Hi guys!"

Of course, Wheeler thought wearily. The Russian scrambled out of his lap. Her blonde hair was loose about her shoulders and her cheeks were pink. "Kwame! Hello."

Gi appeared in the doorway behind Kwame and mouthed "Sorry," at Wheeler.

"So," said Kwame, settling himself on the couch between Wheeler and Linka. "Catch me up. What is this film about?"

Wheeler leant his head back against the stone wall. He could hear the drip of water from somewhere close by.

Maybe that hadn't been the best memory to relive. Things had been a little awkward after that. Linka had talked brightly to Kwame for the rest of the movie, avoiding Wheeler's eye. And, as always when they shared a moment, they hadn't talked about it again.

Nice one, Yankee, he thought to himself, then sat up straight again. Footsteps? Was someone approaching?

He braced himself, feet planted firmly on the stone floor. The footsteps were coming closer. A figure stepped into the dim light thrown by a single lamp. A familiar figure.

Wheeler gasped. "Kwame?"


	7. Chapter 7

The young Kenyan put a finger to his lips. Two figures emerged behind him. Tall men, in khaki uniforms. Wheeler now saw that a rifle was pressed into Kwame's back. He glanced quickly at the African's index finger – the Earth ring was still proudly in place.

Kwame was marched over to the pipe that Wheeler was tied to, and bound with the same tough cord.

"Hello, my friend," he said ruefully. "I did not expect to be reunited with you like this."

"Yeah, well, we'll never have a better time to catch up on all the news," said Wheeler with a wink. The guards departed. "Who were those goons?"

"Members of Mugabe's ZANU PF party," said Kwame, shaking his head. "They brought me straight down here. It is worse than we feared. It appears the government is actually financing this little … project of Plunder's."

"You're kidding! So if we do manage to find out what's happening, and go to the authorities …"

"It won't do us any good. We've got to be careful with this one, Wheeler. The political situation here is so tense that the slightest thing could spark a civil war."

"So … does Mugabe have an opposite number? Is there someone else we could approach?"

"The MDC – Movement for Democratic Change. A lot of the prominent members have gone underground."

"So maybe we need to contact them."

"It's possible. Tell me – what happened to you? What are you doing here?"

Wheeler quickly summarized the events of the last couple of days (carefully edited, of course).

"And you lost your ring?" said Kwame. "That's not good news."

"None of this is," said Wheeler gloomily. "Except – well, at least I can explain those mysterious underwater tyre tracks. From what I've seen here, Plunder has tunneled under all the major waterholes."

"Any sign of those missing children?"

"None." Wheeler shifted position slightly, trying to get comfortable. "Hey, Kwame – I'm really sorry. I didn't do such a great job of leading this mission."

"What are you talking about, Wheeler? You did a fine job. And it's not over yet."

"Yeah, well, I'm still glad you're here," said Wheeler. He cleared his throat. "So … I figure those soldiers will be far enough away by now for you to use your ring, Earth-boy."

"I can't." Kwame shook his head. "I tried when they brought me down here. Something about these underground tunnels stops it from working."

"So that's why I can't contact Ma-Ti!" Wheeler kicked at the pipe in frustration. "Dammit! So we just sit here?"

"No, my friend," said Kwame, smiling. The rope binding his wrists unraveled. Wheeler saw the glint of a knife in his palm, and laughed.

"Nice work."

Kwame got to work on Wheeler's bonds. "It's Africa. You've got to be prepared. The soldiers were so sure that my ring would be no threat, they didn't look for any more … shall we say, _conventional _weapons."

Wheeler rubbed his wrists. The skin was broken and sore. "Ouch. Those really aren't the kind of handcuffs I'm into."

"I don't want to know," Kwame laughed. "Shall we get out of here?"

"I thought you'd never ask."

XXXXXXX

Linka bent down beside the footprints and touched them lightly. "Do not worry, Wheeler. I will find you," she murmured. His ring was on the chain she wore around her neck, its warmth gently heating the hollow of her collarbone.

She stepped over to the waterhole and extended her right hand.

"Wind!"

The water spiralled into a whirlpool. The centre was completely dry, revealing the earth below. And …

"What is that?" Linka wondered. She could clearly see a metal surface, half-covered in mud. The wind subsided, and the water flowed back. Taking a deep breath, Linka dived in.

The water was murky and filled with particles. She swam her way downwards to the metal object. Beside it was a lever. Linka returned to the surface briefly to gasp some more air, then dived back down.

"_I shouldn't pull the lever before I have a good idea of what it does,_" she thought. "_But who knows how much time I have? Wheeler would pull on it straight away._" The American had somewhat of a history when it came to pressing buttons at random. Making up her mind, Linka put all her weight on the lever and tugged. She felt water rushing past her – the metal surface was lifting, sucking water beneath it like a giant plug-hole. It was all she could do to cling on and hold her breath.

In seconds the waterhole was drained, and Linka was crouching in a muddy puddle. The metal trapdoor stood open – big enough to accommodate a large truck. A sloping tunnel dropped away into blackness. Linka stood staring for a few minutes, but was spurred into action when the trapdoor started to close and water began gushing into the waterhole once more.

"Here goes nothing!" she whispered, and sprinted into the tunnel.

XXXXXXX

Wheeler and Kwame ran down the dark tunnels.

"Don't suppose you remember which way you were brought down?" Wheeler panted.

"I … I think so," Kwame replied. "But Wheeler – don't you think it is strange that no one was guarding us? Those soldiers just left."

"Yeah, I think it's strange – but I'm not complaining."

"What I'm saying is, we might be heading into an even worse trap."

"Oh great. Real positive attitude there, Kwame."

Wheeler stopped and looked around. The tunnels were filled with water to ankle-length, and lit only by lamps set into the walls at long intervals.

"I'm feeling pretty disoriented, I have to say."

"I'm just taking all the upward-sloping tunnels," Kwame shrugged. "They must get us out of here eventually."

"That's the spirit," said Wheeler. "Senseless optimism. That's what being a Planeteer is all about. So where to next?"

"Up there, I think." Kwame pointed to a turning ahead. A thin light streamed from it.

The two men made their way towards it.

"I'm looking forward to getting some dry clothes on," Wheeler shivered. "Hey, what's that noise?"

"Footsteps," said Kwame grimly. "Coming from this passage."

"No problem." Wheeler positioned himself at the entrance, flattening his body against the wall. "I'll take them out."

"I've got your back."

Now the noise was clearer, though the echoes still made it difficult to tell how many running feet there were, or how quickly they were approaching. Wheeler and Kwame exchanged glances. Kwame nodded a signal, and Wheeler stepped out.

"Hold it right there, you … Hey!"

"Let me go!" his struggling captive cried, then … "Wheeler!"

Wheeler fell backwards into the water as Linka's full weight was thrown onto him. Spluttering, he sat up.

"Hey! I know you!"

"Wheeler!" Linka threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. "I was so worried about you!"

Her cheek was cold against his. Wheeler ventured a kiss on it. "Well, as you can see, babe, I'm one hundred percent fine."

Kwame looked on, smiling. "I don't want to interrupt, but we need to get going. Linka, can you lead us out?"

"Kwame!" Linka seemed to notice him for the first time. Detaching from Wheeler, she gave him a hug. "I didn't expect to find you, too."

The three Planeteers sprinted up the tunnel towards the waterhole. Linka hadn't let go of Wheeler's hand.

"It is up here." She pointed to the lever. "There it is!"

"Right." Wheeler reached up past her. "Excuse me, princess. Let's get out of here!"

The trapdoor started to open. Water started to pour in through the gap.

"Ah. Didn't really think this one through," Wheeler realized. "Any ideas, Linka?"

"The water is getting stronger," said Kwame. "We will be washed back down the passage!"

"Use your ring, Kwame!" said Linka.

"Of course!" said Kwame. "It should work now we're out in the open air. Earth!"

The piece of ground they were standing on rose up through the trapdoor. Soon they were standing on an island in the middle of the rapidly shrinking waterhole.

"Jump off, quick, before it sinks again!" Kwame cried.

The three Planeteers jumped down and ran through the shallow water to the shore.

"Nice ring work there, Kwame," Wheeler commented.

"That reminds me!" said Linka. "Here."

She reached inside her shirt collar and drew out her chain. She gently detached Wheeler's ring, and held it out to him.

"My ring! Thanks, babe," said Wheeler, slipping it onto his finger. "I hoped those jerks hadn't taken it off me."

"No problem." Linka suddenly leaned forward and gave Wheeler a kiss on the cheek. "I am just glad you are okay."

"More than okay, babe." The American's gaze was very warm. "Now, where are the others?"

"Right here," said a voice from behind him. Wheeler spun round. Gi, Ma-Ti and Tendai were parked a few metres from the waterhole.

"Planeteers reunited!" said Kwame as the newcomers jumped down to hug him. "And I think we all have news to share."

"Let's head back to camp," Gi agreed. "We need to hear everyone's stories before we make our next move."

"Yeah, and I need dry clothes," said Wheeler.

XXXXXXX

(I know this has been an action-packed chapter rather than a romantic one, but don't worry – lots of our favourite couple in the next installment! Thanks to everyone who has reviewed – it's really encouraging, and I appreciate it. Keep 'em coming!)


	8. Chapter 8

Wheeler leant his head back, eyes closed, enjoying the cold water that poured down his back. Yes, it was a little rusty with earth from the pipes, and yes, it was freezing, but the day as scorching hot and it was so good to get some of the grime off that he didn't care. Tendai had given him a big bar of hard green soap to wash with – it took a lot of rubbing to work it up into a lather, but he had managed okay. He let the water soak into his red hair. That felt so damn good.

"Oh, I'm sorry …" came a horrified gasp. In a Russian accent. Wheeler opened his eyes. Linka was standing in front of him, red-faced, one hand over her face and a towel round her neck.

"I thought you had finished!" she said desperately.

"Um … no," Wheeler laughed. She looked so cute standing there. He glanced downwards. Oops. "Could I borrow your towel? I forgot to bring one in."

"Sure," said Linka hastily. Still covering her eyes, she thrust the towel in his general direction.

"Thanks, babe." Wheeler wrapped the towel around his waist, hiding the evidence. Down, boy. "Sorry about the show."

"No, it was my fault." Linka started backing away, still keeping her eyes shut.

"You can open your eyes now. I'm decent."

"Oh … da." Linka opened her eyes, and laughed awkwardly. "I'll come back in a little while. Give you a chance to get dry."

Wheeler's hair was spiky with water, and his chest was covered in tiny droplets. His cheeks were a little pink, too – although not as pink as her own. Linka had to admit, he looked pretty good, even if he was embarrassed.

"Well, this is awkward," said the American. "I might get dressed now."

"Oh, sure … I will, uh, leave you to it." Linka stuttered and then sprinted back to her hut, her blonde hair flying.

XXXXXXX

"Right, so we know that Plunder is behind all this," began Kwame. The five Planeteers and Tendai were sitting around a table outside the main hut. Wheeler's hair was still wet from his shower, and he and Linka were carefully avoiding each other's eyes.

"Yes, and we also know that Mugabe's political party is helping to fund it," Gi broke in.

"Kwame kindly let himself get kidnapped to confirm that," said Wheeler, "just as I gallantly sacrificed myself to prove Plunder was involved."

"We know where the animals are, too," said Linka. "And how Plunder is managing to take them in such large numbers."

Ma-Ti nodded, his brown eyes filled with sorrow. Wheeler's description of the way the animals were caged had deeply upset the young man. "We have to rescue those poor animals," he said now.

"We will, Ma-Ti," Gi comforted.

"But the situation is more complicated than our usual missions," said Kwame. "If this country's government endorses what is happening here, we will be stepping on some pretty powerful toes by trying to stop it."

"Who cares?" Wheeler snorted. "We can't just sit back and watch this happening. And I don't think anyone's under the impression that this government's worth obeying, do you?"

"That's not the point, Yankee!" said Linka. "We have a reputation to uphold – we have become public figures, and we can't be seen to break the law. Ever," she added when the American opened his mouth to protest.

"I think we need to split up again," said Kwame. "We can't bring Captain Planet into this just yet – we need to tread carefully. I suggest that Gi, Ma-Ti and I go back down into Plunder's lair …"

"…And free the animals," Ma-Ti broke in.

"Yes, free the animals and also see if we can find any concrete evidence on Plunder's little project."

"So that means Linka, Tendai and I are going to see the park ranger who lost her children?"

"Yes," Kwame nodded. "That is one of the hardest pieces to fit into this puzzle."

"No problem, Kwame. We'll get to the bottom of it." Wheeler stood up. "You guys don't need the Cruiser, right?"

"No, we will take a more subtle approach."

"Great. You ready to roll, guys?"

Linka and Tendai nodded. The Shona man got to his feet. "Let us go to see Sarudzai."

XXXXXXX

"Who are these … Planeteers?"

Plunder sat with his hands resting lightly on the polished mahogany table. His face was impassive, but a glint in his eyes showed his thinly-veiled anger.

"I know this town is a backwater, Pieter," he drawled, "but surely you have heard of the Planeteers? They have almost a celebrity status. God knows why. They're an unpleasant pack of do-gooders, always sticking their noses into my business."

"Ages?" The speaker stood with his back to Plunder, looking out a tall window. His hands were clasped behind his back, and the sunshine illuminated the almost unnatural whiteness of his hair. His voice had a thick Afrikaans accent.

"Ranging from nineteen to about twenty-five."

"Weapons?"

"They have magical rings." Plunder sneered. "Powers given to them by the Spirit of the Earth. The forces of nature are harnessed in these rings, and when their powers combine …" His hands curled into fists. "…They summon Captain Planet."

"What the hell's Captain Planet?" The blond man turned around.

"A so-called superhero. Blue skin, green mullet, impressive powers. Even worse than them. At all costs, we have to stop him getting involved."

"So who was the redhead I dragged from the camp last night?"

"The firebug. An American."

"He wasn't wearing a ring," the man observed.

"I know. I wish we had got our hands on it."

"I didn't know about the rings, or I would have looked for it after I knocked him out."

"Never mind that now." Plunder leaned back in his chair. "My sources tell me that the Planeteers' aircraft is heading towards the village. I think they're going to try and talk to Sarudzai."

"Ah." Pieter turned around to face Plunder. "I was thinking of paying her a visit myself."

"Good idea."

As Pieter moved towards the door, Plunder rose from his chair. "One moment, Pieter. How are the children?"

Pieter stopped. "Fine. Why?"

"Good. Keep it that way."

XXXXXXX

Wheeler's eyes narrowed as he lifted the Geocruiser off the ground. He eased it up and leveled it off smoothly, then grinned.

"Perfect take-off, every time."

"I don't see why you wouldn't let me fly the Cruiser," said Linka sharply. She crossed her arms and glared at the young American.

"It's simple – I wanted to fly it. Therefore, I didn't want you to."

"That's not a reasonable argument, Yankee!"

"I'm not a reasonable kinda guy, babe."

Linka sat back, fuming. Tendai looked from one to the other. "Is everything all right?"

Wheeler realized that their Shona guide didn't know them well enough to know what was a real fight and what was just their usual day-to-day bickering.

"Don't worry, Tendai, we're just kidding around. So, is there anything you need to tell us about Sarudzai?"

"Nothing … except that you must be gentle with her. She has had much tragedy these past few weeks. The animals … she lives for her work, and losing those animals is like losing part of herself. And her children …"

"That poor woman," said Linka softly. "I don't know how anyone could bear that loss."

"Is there a husband in the picture?" asked Wheeler.

"No. Sarudzai's husband left her a year ago."

"Oh no." Linka shook her head. "It gets worse and worse. Wheeler – when we get there, you had better let me do the talking."

"What are you suggesting?" he snapped. "That I'm not sensitive enough to talk to her?"

"No, Yankee!" Linka touched his arm. "But … I think this is something that should be discussed woman to woman – you know?"

Wheeler looked into her eyes, then nodded. Her face was filled with compassion for Sarudzai, and her green eyes were shining with unshed tears. He felt his heart catch in his chest. She was so beautiful. It still surprised him, every time.

"Sure, babe. You're probably right."

He cleared his throat a little to hide his emotion, then said brightly, "Hey, there's the village – short flight."

They came in to land, scattering a cloud of red dust.

"Come," said Tendai. "I will take you to see Sarudzai."


	9. Chapter 9

Sorry for the growing space between updates – end of term is nigh and assignments and exams are crowding in. Thanks for your reviews – hope you enjoy this chapter!

Gi was silent as they walked to the waterhole, and Ma-Ti eyed her with concern.

"_You okay, Gi?_" he asked her silently.

"_Fine, thank you, Ma-Ti_." Gi smiled at him gratefully. "_Just thinking about the mission._"

Sure you are, Ma-Ti thought. He sent a warming wave of calm towards his friend, hoping that some of it would reach her and soothe her nerves. Sometimes having this insight into his colleagues' thoughts and feelings was more of a burden than a gift – especially when there were this many hormones flying around.

Ma-Ti was right. Gi was thinking about what had happened the other night. Dammit, Wheeler, she thought, why do you always have to do this? Now she knew how Linka felt – distracted by the young American's antics when they were in the middle of a serious situation. He seemed to have a knack for complicating everything. She tucked a strand of her glossy blue-black hair behind her ear, and sighed loudly.

Gi hadn't had a chance to talk to her friend about it since he came back. There had been a moment of brief awkwardness as they hugged – just a strange frisson, a sensation that something was not quite right – and then nothing. Wheeler's blue eyes had been expressionless as he moved away – and he couldn't move away fast enough.

But it was something they really did need to talk about.

"We're here," said Kwame. His deep, calm voice jolted Gi out of her thoughts. She shook her head. "Okay, guys. I'll get the door." Pointing her ring at the waterhole, she cried, "_Water!"_

The water parted, revealing the metal trapdoor. Deep grooves leading to it showed that a heavy vehicle had passed that way not long ago.

"Nice work, Gi." Kwame jumped down onto the exposed riverbed. "_Earth!"_

The ground around the trapdoor shifted and moved with a grinding noise, lifting the door off its hinges. It fell to the side with a clang. Gi raised her eyebrows at Kwame, who smiled and shrugged.

"Easier than trying to lift it. Besides, we want to make sure that we don't get trapped down there."

"Can't argue with that," said Gi. She punched Kwame's shoulder lightly. "Sure you weren't just showing off, though?"

"Come on guys," said Ma-Ti impatiently. He was already climbing into the passageway. "I don't want those animals to suffer any longer than they have to. I can sense their distress, even from here."

"Sorry, Ma-Ti." Gi made a rueful face at Kwame, who smiled back. There was a brief moment of warmth between them. _What's wrong with me?_ Gi thought. _I kiss one colleague and now they all have potential. _

"Gi!"

"Sorry, Ma-Ti," she repeated. "Coming."

_Except Ma-Ti_, she added mentally. _The guy's like my baby brother. If I started imagining an attraction there, I'd know I really had a problem. _

XXXXXXX

Sarudzai's house was a modest brick building, with a corrugated iron roof and whitewashed walls. The pristine cleanliness of the walls and the flowerbeds beneath the windows, filled with a few struggling pansies, showed that the person who lived here cared for the house's appearance. Two fat chickens pecked at scraps by the door. Apart from their occasional faint clucking, the house and garden were silent.

"It seems a bit … quiet," Wheeler commented.

Linka picked up something half-hidden in the bushes by the front gate. It was a teddy bear, a bit bedraggled. One of its eyes was hanging by a thread. Her eyes filled with tears.

"Yes," nodded Tendai. His dark eyes were veiled and emotionless. "It has certainly been quieter here lately."

He pushed open the gate and walked to the door.

"_Gogogoi!_" he said, knocking. "Is anyone here? Sarudzai?"

Wheeler and Linka hung back slightly. Wheeler was shifting his weight from foot to foot, looking uncomfortable.

"You okay, Yankee?" Linka whispered.

"Yeah … just, I kind of feel bad coming to talk to her. You know, like I'm one of those journalists that interviews people directly after some tragedy."

Linka gently linked her arm in his. "We have to talk to her, Wheeler."

"Well, sometimes I wonder what gives us the right. That's all."

The redhead's expression was unusually serious. Linka felt a strange chill, but before she could examine it the doorknob started to turn, and Tendai stood back.

"Sarudzai?"

"Tendai."

A tall woman stood in the doorway. She was not beautiful, but the bones of her face had a strength and presence that immediately made Linka feel very young and very clumsy. The young Russian realized she was still holding the teddy bear under her arm.

"I … I am sorry. I …"

Sarudzai reached out and took the bear. Her hand brushed Linka's – it was cool, the palms roughened by physical labour.

"You are the Planeteers?" she said. Her voice was deep.

"_Da_," said Linka quickly.

"Come in."

Sarudzai turned and walked into the house, Tendai on her heels. Wheeler glanced at Linka, eyebrows raised in faint surprise, then followed her in. Linka paused for a moment – looked at the neat garden, the mown lawn, the struggling flowers. Something was nagging at her – something not quite right, or out of place. But no time to think about it now. She stepped through the doorway.

XXXXXXX

Wheeler held the enamel cup gingerly in his hands. Sarudzai's living room made him feel awkward and too big – it was so dainty and clean. Everything was spotless – he had even lifted up a cushion surreptitiously to check for crumbs and found nothing. It was almost spooky. Sarudzai herself had that same almost eerie cleanliness – her skin and hair shone, and her clothes were perfectly creaseless and impeccably matched. As he watched, she smoothed down her skirt and adjusted her cup so it sat dead centre of the wooden coaster. Had she always been like this? Looking around the room, he saw no photographs and no ornaments. Just the bare white walls, the furniture and a few geometrically positioned cushions on the sofa.

"Sarudzai," Linka was saying, "I am so sorry to have to ask you this, but can you tell us about the day your children disappeared?"

Wheeler took a sip of tea. It was a Rooibos blend, pungent and aromatic, with flecks of milk floating on the surface. He wasn't really a tea kind of guy, but Sarudzai had said "coffee?" in the same way other people said "genocide?" Tea it was, then.

"I understand that you need to ask," said Sarudzai. Her tone was cold. "But I no longer have any connection with Hwange National Park. I see Tendai for time to time because we have been friends for years, but otherwise … no. I will not get involved. No more."

"But we will help you to find your children!" said Linka. She leaned forward in her chair, her cheeks flushed with strength of feeling. "With every hour that passes we are closer to finding out what has been happening at Hwange."

"Hwange," spat Sarudzai, "is cursed."

"Cursed?" said Wheeler involuntarily. He remembered the swaying headdress of the witchdoctor, the strange smell of the fire in his hut. "Do you seriously think that?"

"Yes, Mr All-American Boy," said Sarudzai with sudden venom, turning to him. "I seriously do."

"But…"

"I am not stupid, Wheeler. I am a well-educated woman. I even have a doctorate. I am not some superstitious villager who explains away lightning by saying it is the storm god's anger. But yes, I think Hwange is cursed."

"Sarudzai …" Linka was at a loss. "Why do you think that? We have found plenty of evidence linking it to a man called Luten Plunder. We do not know exactly why he is doing it yet, or how we are going to stop him, but I certainly do not think there are any supernatural causes for the disappearance of the animals … or your children."

"And what would you know about it?" said Sarudzai sharply. For the first time there was a suspicion of tears in her voice.

"We do not mean to cause any offence," Tendai said gently. He laid a hand on his friend's arm. "Saru, please tell the Planeteers anything you know. We need your help. I no you no longer want to have anything to do with Hwange, but the animals …"

Sarudzai's expression softened. "Tendai, I can't bear to think of them. It is better for me not to know."

"Please. Just do this one thing for us, and I swear we will not mention it again."

"Fine." Sarudzai tilted her chin defiantly. "But do not think you will be able to find my children. My babies are dead."

The word hung in the air. Linka felt that same strange sense of foreboding.

"Please, tell us what happened," she said quietly.

XXXXXXX

"It was a normal day," Sarudzai began. She was clenching her teacup tightly in both hands, even though it was empty. "I went to work as usual, and I took the children with me. Matthew – my son – was off school with a cold. I thought he might have been pretending. He does not – did not like school, and he had been complaining of bullies. Still, I let him take this one day off."

Tendai gently lifted the cup from her hands and placed it on the table, then took her hand in his.

"The twins were still too young for school."

"Twin girls?" said Wheeler, hating to ask but knowing that they needed to hear everything.

"Yes. Chenai and Rufaro. I usually bring them to work with me, since there is no one here to look after them. I used to have a maid, but now I cannot afford one." She took a deep breath. "You have been staying in the _roondavels_?"

"Yes."

"Then you will know the area. My office is there too, near Tendai's. It is just behind the information centre, before you get to the accommodation huts. That is where I was working. The children knew not to wander too far. Other staff members bring their children too, and they play around the picnic tables by the kitchen. Chenai and Rufaro liked to make little gardens out of stones and bits of bark. I think they were playing that game on the day they died."

That word again. So stark, and unforgiving. Wheeler wondered what made her so sure, and wished Ma-Ti was here. He saw Linka nervously playing with her ring.

There was a short silence, then Sarudzai continued.

"I had only left them for half an hour. I check on them regularly, and there are always other staff members around to watch all the children. So if you think I was being irresponsible …"

"We weren't thinking that," said Linka softly.

"I took them out some Mazoe orange juice and some Marie biscuits on a tray, as I always did at about eleven o'clock. I couldn't find them at the picnic tables, so I went around all the huts. I wasn't too worried – they were well-behaved, and as I have said, there were plenty of people around."

"Still, easy enough for three small kids to slip past the adults, I guess," said Wheeler.

"They wouldn't try," said Sarudzai sharply. "They are good children, and they know the dangers of the bush. They would never run off."

"Please continue," said Linka, shooting Wheeler a glare. He didn't need Ma-Ti's ring to read her mind. _Let me do the talking, Yankee._

"I couldn't find them. I started to panic. I found Tendai, and together we organized a search. After a while we found footprints leading to the waterhole, that strange metal object, the zebra skin and …" She stopped. "And we found some blood."

"Not much," said Tendai quickly. "Just a little, on the grass."

"Do you have any idea why someone would want to take your children?" asked Linka. "Were you working on anything in particular at the time?"

"Just my usual work," shrugged Sarudzai. "I monitor the animals via the information we receive from their microchips. I mean … that is what I used to do. I didn't have to deal with the tourists like Tendai here, thank God."

"And had you noticed anything suspicious?" Wheeler asked.

"Of course! Signals scrambling, animals disappearing. The day before my children died, I even thought I might have found a clue as to where they were going."

"What was that?" asked Linka eagerly.

Sarudzai shrugged. "It doesn't matter. I was wrong."

"Please," Wheeler chimed in. "We need all the ideas we can get, no matter how crazy."

"Really?" Sarudzai's dark brown eyes stared into Wheeler's blue ones. "Then here you are, American boy. I found a strange signal coming from inside the old homestead outside the village."

"What kind of strange signal?"

"Like nothing I have heard before. I thought it may have been what was scrambling our frequencies … did Tendai tell you we had radio interference too?"

"No, I am sorry," said Tendai. "I didn't mention it. It was only for a couple of days," he explained to the Planeteers.

"Anyway. I went to the old house. Do you know it? It used to belong to a rich white man, back in the fifties. He was murdered there in the first _Chimurenga_. The war," she added for Wheeler and Linka's benefit. "In the most gruesome way possible. And not just him, but his wife, his children and all his livestock and household pets."

She paused.

"There was nothing there. I had a good look. But all the time I was looking, I could hear these noises – like distant laughter and the cries of animals, or people, in pain. I could not find out what was causing them. The _n'anga _came to me…"

"The witchdoctor?" said Wheeler sharply. "What was he doing there?"

"He had come to find me. He told me that the soul of the man who lived there had put a curse on us. And the next day, my children disappeared."

Sarudzai got to her feet. "That is all I know. Now, I hope you will excuse me."

XXXXXXX

Outside in the sunlight, Wheeler breathed a sigh of relief.

"Man, am I glad to be out of there. All that talk of witchcraft and mysterious noises …"

"We are going to have to take a look at that old house," said Linka. Her face was pale. "Maybe we can find out what caused the signal."

"It does seem strange that her children disappeared the day after she went up there," said Wheeler. "Like someone was trying to get her off the case. And it worked, too. She couldn't be less interested in coming back to the park."

"I do not like this," said Tendai, shaking his head. "I do not like it at all."

"Yeah, well, I don't believe in ghosts and things that go bump in the night," said Wheeler. "There's a rational explanation for this – and we know Plunder is behind it. So let's go check out this haunted house while it's still daylight."

"I thought you weren't scared, Yankee," said Linka, smiling slightly.

"I'm not. But are you really keen on hearing mysterious noises after dark? I didn't think so. Come on."

He strode ahead, then paused. "Um, Tendai … where is this place, exactly?"

"The other way," said Tendai, pointing.

"Figures."

XXXXXXX

From behind the net curtains, Sarudzai watched them go. She waited till they were out of sight, then lifted the telephone receiver to her ear and dialed a number.

"Pieter? It's me."


	10. Chapter 10

Exams are over, hooray! Post-grad is hard, unsurprisingly. Sorry for the delay …

XXXXXXX

The old house was enclosed by a tall metal fence.

"Seems strange," Wheeler commented. "If it's deserted …"

"It's to keep local children from going inside," Tendai explained. "The building is very old, and most likely unstable."

Linka took a step forwards and reached a hand out as if to touch the wire. Wheeler grabbed her wrist.

"Hey!"

"Sorry, babe, but that was a seriously bad idea."

Linka watched as a fly meandered drunkenly into the fence and expired in a flash of sparks.

"An electric fence," commented the American, still holding Linka's wrist. "Real welcoming."

"The house doesn't look that friendly either," said Tendai grimly. "Come, the gate is around the side."

Linka disengaged her wrist from Wheeler's hand, rubbing it.

"Sorry, Linka. Didn't mean to be rough."

"That is okay, Yankee." Linka turned to follow Tendai. Wheeler ran a few steps to catch her up.

"Hey, so what's your take on the whole thing, babe?"

"The whole …?"

"The deal with Sarudzai and those kids. And this creepy old house."

"I do not know." Linka's smooth brow furrowed in a frown. "I don't really know what to think. It is so strange. But I do not believe that there is a curse on Hwange!"

"I'm with you on that one." Wheeler glanced at the Russian's profile as they followed their guide. "Hey, remember that time in Thailand? When that supposed dragon-beast was terrorizing the area?"

Linka looked resolutely ahead, avoiding his gaze. That business with the dragon-beast had been one of their earliest missions. The Planeteers had split into groups to investigate the mythical monster's appearances, and she had been teamed with the American. They had spent the night wandering through the Thai jungle, their paths lit by solar torches.

At that stage in their careers as Planeteers, Linka was still getting to know Wheeler. She couldn't deny the instant spark of attraction that had ignited between them, but she also couldn't deny the incandescent rage that filled her whenever the American teased her or clowned around in the middle of a mission. She had been secretly pleased to be paired with him that night.

"I do not know if it was such a good idea to split up like this," she had said, or something like it, when the darkness started to look threatening.

"I kinda like it. It's the first time we've had a chance to be alone," Wheeler had said, turning to her. He had dropped the beam of his torch so that his face was only dimly lit. Linka had stepped forward, lowering her own torch, and grasped his lapel. She could see him smiling in the dim light as she had reached up …

And then the dragon-beast had roared, and the pair quickly separated.

Why was Wheeler bringing this up now? Linka wondered. Knowing that his streak of mischief was a mile wide, she suspected him of referring to that almost-kiss. Well, she wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of remembering.

"_Da_," she said neutrally. "And it turned out to be a robot built by Greedly."

"Exactly," said Wheeler. He was still smiling at her. "Not a superstition at all. Though it had sharp teeth, whatever it was."

"Planeteers!" said Tendai from ahead. "I have found the entrance."

XXXXXXX

Gi raced down the dark corridors after Kwame, who knew the way. She could hear Ma-Ti's light tread behind her.

"This is awful," he panted, out of breath from the run. "I can feel the animals' pain more and more strongly as we get closer."

"Don't worry Ma-Ti," Gi said over her shoulder. "We will make sure they get out of here unharmed. Have you been in touch with the others?"

"No, but I will check in now." Ma-Ti raised one hand to his temple. "_Heart._"

"_Linka?"_

"_Ma-Ti!" _The Russian's voice came through strongly. "_Is everything all right? Are you in trouble?_"

"_No, we are fine. Almost at the holding bay. No problems so far. And you?"_

"_We are following a new lead." _Linka quickly ran through everything Sarudzai had told them. "_We're about to go into the house and see if we can find whatever was causing that scrambled signal."_

"_Okay – keep me posted."_

"_You too. Good luck."_

Ma-Ti lowered his hand. "Kwame!"

The young African slowed his pace and stopped for a moment. "What is it, Ma-Ti?"

Ma-Ti quickly briefed him in.

"Good," Kwame commented. "It sounds like we are all on the right track."

"Speaking of which," Gi broke in, "are you sure you know where we're going?"

She stood with one hand on her hip, waiting for a response.

"I am," said Kwame with his usual quiet confidence. "And it's not too much further, either. Can't you hear it?"

The others were silent for a moment.

"I can't hear anything," said Gi.

"It's the sound of machinery, very far off," said Kwame. "Coming from that tunnel."

"You have good ears. I can't hear a thing," said Gi. "But I'm sure you're right. Let's go."

"We'd better slow down a little. We may run into some of Plunder's men as we get closer."

"No problem. In fact, I'm almost looking forward to it," said Gi, flexing the hand that carried her ring.

"Me too," said Ma-Ti with an unaccustomed grimness to his tone. "They deserve to pay for what they have done to these animals."

The three Planeteers started down the tunnel that Kwame had indicated.

XXXXXXX

"_Bozhe moy!" _Linkajumped backwards, brushing frantically at her hair. "So many cobwebs!"

They were inside the old house. After a few minutes of examining the outside – Dutch gabled roof, long porch, big windows with most of the glass still intact – they had ventured in through the front door.

"Hey, you've made a friend," said Wheeler, picking a black spider out of Linka's fringe.

"It is just a rain spider," Tendai reassured the Russian. "Completely harmless."

"Big, though," said Wheeler, examining it.

"Put it down, Yankee!" said Linka with a shudder. "Tendai, have you noticed anything strange yet?"

"Nothing." The Shona man tapped the walls as he spoke. "Just an old, uncared-for colonial house."

"No strange noises, either …" Wheeler began, then broke off.

"What is it?"

"Shhh!"

"Yankee, I …" Linka began indignantly, but he laid a finger on her lips to silence her. "Can you hear that?"

The three were silent. A sound floated to them, as if it was coming from under their feet … a distant barking.

"A dog from the village?" said Linka uncertainly.

Then something mingled with the barking – men's voices, also sounding far away. And laughter – the laughter of children.

"Man, that is creepy," said Wheeler, looking a little pale. "Is everyone else hearing that?"

"We are," Tendai assured him. He laid a hand on his gun holster. "That must be what Sarudzai heard."

"It may be creepy, but it is not the sound of ghosts," said Linka with confidence. "Come."

She strode through the room and opened a door on the other side.

"Hey, Tendai," said Wheeler as they followed her, "there is actually something strange about this room. I mean – the ceilings are covered in cobwebs, the furniture is so dusty that it's almost white, but the floor is completely clear. Almost like someone has swept it."

"That is true," Tendai agreed.

"I have found something!" Linka's voice was triumphant. "Come and see!"

Wheeler and Tendai exchanged glances, then hurried towards her voice. It was coming from behind another tall wooden door. Wheeler grasped the handle and turned it.

"Ah, Wheeler, isn't it?" said a heavily-accented male voice. "Come in … and bring your friend."

Wheeler pushed the door open. He was confronted with a room full of machinery – speakers, screens, flashing dials. Against the far wall stood a man with unnaturally pale hair, wearing khaki clothing and carrying a gun. A gun that was pressed against the side of Linka's head.

XXXXXXX

Kwame, Gi and Ma-Ti were crouched behind a crate in the holding bay. They could see the dark glitter of water to their right, lit by torches on the walls. Ahead of them, Plunder's men were busy loading crates of animals onto a fleet of trucks, using a crane. Plunder was walking amongst them, twirling his ivory-topped cane as he barked orders.

"That guy is a real jerk-off, as Wheeler would say," muttered Ma-Ti. He was so angry that Gi could almost feel the heat coming off him. She could only imagine what it must be like to feel the terror of all those animals in your head.

"It's okay, Ma-Ti," she comforted, laying a hand on his shoulder. "We will think of something."

"I could bring down the ceiling, or you could flood the place," muttered Kwame to Gi, "but that would harm the animals as well as the men."

"And we won't do anything to harm them," said Ma-Ti sharply.

"Of course not." Kwame exchanged glances with Gi. "So I think our best plan is to try and free some of the animals in the crates nearest to us. Create enough of a diversion that we can slip through to the others – and stop those trucks from leaving."

Ma-Ti raised his ring to his head for a minute. "_Heart._"

Gi and Kwame waited. After a short silence, Ma-Ti opened his eyes again.

"There is a rhinocerous in that crate," he said, pointing. "If I free him and let him know that we are friends, I think I can cause enough chaos that you'll be able to get to the trucks unseen."

"Sounds good," Gi nodded. "So all we need to do is open the crate. If only Wheeler was here! He could do it in a second."

"No problem." Kwame pulled out his penknife. "It might be old-fashioned, but it still works."

He crept to the crate on his hands and knees, the knife between his teeth. He was sheltered by the stacks of crates, and there was so much noise that it was very unlikely he would be noticed.

Gi watched him fumble with the lock. "Come on, Kwame."

Beside her, Ma-Ti's teeth were clenched and his eyes were closed. Gi guessed that he was talking to the rhino, soothing it, so that it didn't burst out of the crate and trample Kwame as soon as the door was opened.

"I have done it!" came Kwame's whisper. He was crouching beside the door. The padlock swung down, open. "Is it safe to open the door, Ma-Ti?"

Ma-Ti was deep in the mind of the rhino. He could feel its confusion, fear and anger. Sometimes when he dived this deeply into another consciousness he lost almost all sense of himself.

The rhino's mind was focused, pin-sharp, a haze of red. Ma-Ti felt his own mind slip into that haze like a silvery fish and wrap itself around the anger, soothing it. _There is no need to worry, my friend, _he thought silently, although things as man-made and artificial as words and sentences did not exist at this deep level of being. The words didn't matter – it was the emotion and intent that came with them. He felt the rhino's anger subside and calm.

"Okay, Kwame," he said, opening his eyes. "Open the door."


	11. Chapter 11

Only another three episodes to go, by my calculations! Not to beg for reviews or anything, but I always love hearing from you all and it acts as great encouragement and inspiration. So I would love to see your comments, if you have any.

XXXXXXX

Wheeler's stomach twisted.

"Linka!"

"Wheeler," Linka said urgently, "Don't let him …"

The pale man put his hand over her mouth. Her green eyes widened, and she made an unintelligible noise. Wheeler started forward involuntarily, but stepped back when the pale man raised a hand almost languidly.

"No closer."

"What do you want?" Wheeler snarled. Tendai's hand was on his gun holster, but he had neither spoken nor moved.

"Now, now," the pale man mocked in his guttural voice. "That attitude is not going to help." He shook Linka roughly. "Open your mouth."

Wheeler felt his power ring spark and start to heat up, as it did when he got really angry.

"Open your mouth!"

Casting a pleading glance at Wheeler and Tendai, Linka parted her lips. The pale man shoved the barrel of the gun into her mouth.

"Maybe this will teach you some manners," he said coolly. "Take off your ring. And you, throw down your gun."

Wheeler and Tendai exchanged despairing glances. The Shona guide dropped his gun onto the floor and kicked it across to the pale man, who stopped it with his foot. Wheeler pulled off his ring, with some difficulty – it seemed to sense his reluctance – and tossed it at the man. He saw that Linka's index finger was bare as well.

"So," he said, his Brooklyn accent strengthening as it always did when he was angry, "You want to tell us what's going on, dude?"

"Such crassness." The man shook his head. "Americans."

"Well, I assume you have a reason for shoving a gun down my friend's throat."

"Tough guy," the man commented satirically.

"Look, just tell me what you want, okay?" Wheeler could see beads of sweat on Linka's forehead.

"I have a friend who wants to talk to you." The man gave a reptilian smile. "Man to man."

"To me?" Wheeler raised an eyebrow. "And about anything in particular? Politics, art, religion? Drainage? Why they cancelled _Futurama?_"

"Funny."

"Hey, I'm just trying to be prepared."

"Just come with me. You and your friends."

"Leave Linka out of this! If you don't need her, let her stay here."

"Oh, of course. So that she can let the others know. Good idea." The man sighed. "This is not an action movie, boy. Real-life villains are not that stupid. And I think your line now is 'you won't get away with this.'"

"You'll never get away with this!"

"How obliging you are. And suggestible."

Wheeler gritted his teeth. "Take me to Plunder, then."

"Very well. Would you like to walk there, or would you rather I knocked you unconscious again?"

"Wise guy." Wheeler crossed his arms. "So, where are we going? Take it away, maestro. And take that gun out of Linka's mouth."

The man shrugged elaborately, and drew the gun slowly out of her mouth. Linka retched a little as he pulled it out, and then swallowed. Wheeler's heart seemed to constrict as he looked at her.

"You okay, babe?"

She nodded. Her hands were tied behind her back. She made a small movement as if to start towards him, but was restrained. The South African man pulled her with him to the corner of the room, then bent down and pulled at an iron ring set in the floorboards. It creaked open.

"Nice of you to get the door," Wheeler muttered, and he and Tendai stepped forward.

XXXXXXX

The plan worked like a charm. Plunder's men scattered as the rhino charged towards them.

"Uh … Ma-Ti?" Gi wasn't taking her eyes of it.

"Yes?"

"You sure it's not going to attack us."

"I am sure."

"Okay." Gi stepped out from their hiding place. "Let's unlock these cages." She picked up Kwame's knife and got to work.

Kwame sprinted through the fleeing crowd and reached the nearest truck.

"I am sorry about this," he said to the panicked man inside, and punched him out.

"Gi, Ma-Ti!" He shouted. "I'm going to drive this up to the surface! Can you bring the other two?"

"Right after we've freed the animals!" Gi was releasing the animals as fast as she could, while Ma-Ti calmed them down and guided them back up the tunnel. Gi's hands shook a little.

"Are you sure none of them are going to attack me?"

"Gi!" Ma-Ti rested his hand on her shoulder. "Trust me."

"I know, I know." Gi released the padlock on another cage, and a lion stepped out. She shuddered a little, but it completely ignored her and bounded up the tunnel.

"And none of them are going to eat each other on the way out?"

"No." Ma-Ti watched the lion go, his eyes shining. "I have asked them to suspend their normal instincts until they are safe."

Gi turned to him, her dark hair fanning out around her face. "Ma-Ti?"

"Yes?"

"It's a good thing you're such a nice guy. Promise me you'll never mind-control the entire human race."

"I think I can safely promise that."

"Good."

A couple of shots rang out, echoing in the dim cavern.

"Uh-oh." Gi looked over her shoulder. "Sounds like the big guns have arrived."

"More men?"

"Those other guys were just here for transportation. They were nice and sugar-coated compared to these goons."

"We'd better hurry, then."

"I'm on my last lock."

A large truck pulled up next to them, and Kwame leaned out. "I'll take care of these guys," he said, his voice calm. "Can you take the other two trucks down the tunnel."

"No problem."

A bullet ricocheted off the windscreen. Kwame observed it with interest. "Bulletproof glass," he commented. "Useful."

Plunder's men were running towards him.

"Earth!" Kwame's ring blazed with green light, and a crevasse opened up before the men. They stopped, disconcerted.

"Nice one." Gi swung into the seat of the second truck. "Lead the way."

"Okay, Planeteers." Kwame put the truck into gear. "Let's go!"

XXXXXXX

Wheeler and Tendai walked ahead of the blond man. They were in a tunnel, and their path was lit only by a small torch that the man had given to Tendai ("Because I need my hands free to carry the gun," he had said sardonically).

"Are we allowed to know your name?" Wheeler asked over his shoulder.

The man shrugged. "I don't see why not. You won't know it for long."

"Nice veiled threat. Very smooth. So what is it?"

"Pieter."

"Pieter. And you're working for Plunder? How are the benefits? Does he get you dental?"

Tendai glanced sideways at Wheeler, who read a warning in his eyes. The American scowled, but stopped talking.

"Luten and I are working together for a while," said Pieter calmly. "We have a similar objective that is mutually profitable."

Linka tripped and fell. Pieter kept the gun trained on her, but offered no help. Wheeler stopped.

"Can I help her up?" he asked through gritted teeth.

Pieter shrugged. "I don't know. I am enjoying watching her try on her own."

Linka struggled to get up. There were beads of sweat on her forehead.

"Come on, dude," said Wheeler. "You've had your fun."

"Fine."

Pieter stepped back and watched impassively as Wheeler ran over to the young Russian. He lifted her gently to her feet.

"You okay, babe?" he said into her ear. Her soft hair was silky against his lips.

"_Da_," she said weakly.

"Okay." He kissed her head gently, and released her.

"So touching." Pieter jammed the gun against Linka's spine again. "Now keep walking."

"Fine." Wheeler rejoined Tendai. "How much further?"

"You know, you talk a lot. How do you think your friend would manage if she was paralysed from the waist down?"

Wheeler bit his lip so hard that it drew blood, but kept walking.

XXXXXXX

"This is great!" Gi shouted above the roar of the engine. The Planeteers had found Plunder's handheld radios in the truck cabins.

"I think you may be enjoying this a little too much, Gi." Kwame's voice sounded far away and crackly. "How are you going, Ma-Ti?"

"Good! I am just about to make contact with Wheeler and Linka. Over."

"You don't need to say 'over', Ma-Ti."

XXXXXXX

"_Wheeler? How's everything going at your end?"_

"_Ma-Ti!" _The American's voice came back quickly and urgently. _"Thank God you checked in."_

"_Why? What has happened?"_

"_There was a guy waiting for us in the house … his name's Pieter. Big South African dude. He's armed, and he's got Linka tied up. He's taking us all down some dark tunnel to see Plunder, apparently."_

"_Tendai too?"_

"_Yeah."_

"_Are you all right?"_

"_Yeah, I'm fine. Linka's a little bruised, but nothing too crazy. How are you guys?"_

"_Good. We've got all the animals out."_

"_Awesome. That'll piss Plunder off."_

"_We'll come and find you as soon as we can."_

"_Great. Hey, got to go. Our respected captor is looking suspicious."_

Wheeler's presence was gone. Ma-Ti picked up the radio.

"Kwame? Gi? We have a problem." 


End file.
